Prolific winner La Estrella enjoying well-earned retirement
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
La Estrella is helping much younger horses learn their trade after trainer Don Cantillon called time on the 15-year-old's racing career.
'Timmy', as he is affectionately known, won 29 of his 70 races. A total of 27 of those victories came on the all-weather, one behind record-holder Stand Guard.
The Theatrical gelding graced a track for the last time in March 2017, almost 11 years after making his debut at Leicester.
"He has never been to a racecourse since he last ran in a race. I use him as a hack every day. He's 15 years old, he's completely sound and as happy as anything. When the weather changes he will go out on his summer's grass," said the Newmarket handler.
"He's the sort of horse you could educate the babies with.
"He'll never go to a racecourse to gallop. That wouldn't be fair. It would be asking for trouble with his joints and tendons. That would be like abusing the old boy.
"He's like a bull, he's in brilliant shape.
"You look at the amount of times he's run and the amount of times he's been placed and how many times he's won - I will never have another horse like him. It's an absolute honour to have a horse like that.
"The last time he ran I was never going to run him again anyway. I didn't tell anybody he was retiring. He just bowed out gracefully.
"He'll always go to the races with younger horses as a companion in the horse box."
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