Broadstrand Lad retired with hock injury

Broadstrand Lad, one of Ireland’s most consistent top class trackers for the past three seasons, has been withdrawn from the quarter finals of the Ladbrokes Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night and has been retired from racing.

Blarney trainer John Linehan yesterday notified the Shelbourne racing office that the dog would be unable to take his place in the race and he will be making the journey up the road to Portlaw in the next few days to join the Droopys Stud Team.

Said the trainer yesterday evening: “He had a cut on the foot after the race on Saturday and it sort of fooled us into thinking this was the reason why he was lame. But we realised there might be something more when we took him out of his kennel on Sunday.

“We still didn’t think it was as serious as it transpired but the fact is that he has a hairline fracture of the hock and at his age there is option but to retire him. He will be going to Dunphys but he already has five bitches mated already. He was a great servant and it is a pity that it has ended this way”.

An April ‘08 son of Hallucinate and Kiln Lark he was top class right through his career and, despite some injury interruptions, he ended up winning 23 of his 49 races and was placed 39 times.

His absence from the second quarter final of the Derby means the line-up for the race now reads: 1 Coolykereen Imp; 2 Broadstrand Lad; 3 Razldazl Bugatti; 4 Confident Rankin; 5 Laughil Billy (m); 6 Sawpit Sensation (m).