Mornington-based horseman David Brideoake is this week in mourning after having to put down his talented mare Warm Love due to a severe case of pneumonia.
The beautifully bred four-year-old daughter of Octagonal from Flying Spur mare Charangas was euthanized over the weekend after an abscess on her heart developed into pneumonia.
Purchased for just $9,000 at the 2008 William Inglis and Son Great Southern Weanling Sales in Sydney, Warm Love started 14 times for six wins and three minor placings earning $353,668 in prize money for Brideoake and his family who also owned the classy sprinter.
Her six turf triumphs included a black-type as the winner of the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes (1000m) at Morphettville in February of 2010, while Warm Love was also Group 1 placed having run a game third behind superstar Black Caviar and boom galloper Hay List in the $750,000 Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in February this year.
Warm Love’s swansong appearance was at Flemington on July 23 when she claimed a tidy half-length victory over the Mark Kavanagh-trained Definitely Ready in the $76,000 TLC Electronics Handicap (1000m).
In related horse racing news, Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams has been forced to shelve spring carnival plans with his last-start Group 3 Spring Stakes (1200m) winner Uxorious after the six-year-old Choisir gelding shattered his hind seasamoid.
Uxorious was nominated to race at Caulfield this Saturday in the $100,000 Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1200m) and would likely have started favourite in the Luxbet markets.
Williams said he was unsure how the season-ending injury occurred, but was hopeful that after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday that Uxorious would be able to make a full recovery in time to target the $350,000 Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville next May.
While Uxorious won’t be making an appearance in the 2011 Testa Rossa Stakes on Saturday, there is still a top list of sprinters engaged for the feature including Kavanagh’s Group 2 winner Shrapnel, Golden Slipper fourth placegetter Masthead, Jason Maclachlan’s talented More Than Ready five-year-old Phelan Ready and Rothera who was recently transferred to the stables of Peter Moody.
Final fields for all the races at Caulfield this Saturday, including the weekend’s sole elite level – the $350,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) – will be released later this morning and published here first at Races.com.au.
So, get ready for the Spring Carnival racing and betting action today by opening your online account with Luxbet and be instantly rewarded with a bonus bet valued up to $400 simply by making your first Luxbet deposit and quoting the codeword BONUSBET!
