Iktitaf is gone

[my miss storm cat]

Oh my God..... it just never ends.

Rest in peace.

Triple Grade 1 winner Iktitaf has to be put down

by Tony O'Hehir


IKTITAF, who started the season as a leading contender for Champion Hurdle honours before his career was ended by a serious tendon injury last month, has had to be down after complications set in and his injured near-foreleg became infected.

Trainer Noel Meade said on Monday: "Unfortunately, we had to have Iktitaf put down today. He had surgery for his badly injured tendon last month and it was touch and go whether he could be saved.

“We knew his racing career was over and it was a case of just hoping he would recover enough to enjoy his retirement. However, the wound became infected and we had no option but to have him put down. It's most unfortunate as he was a very good horse and a great servant to the yard. We were really looking forward to this season with him.”

The six-year-old won seven of his 15 races over hurdles for owner Pat Sloan and achieved three successes at Grade 1 level.

He won the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December 2005 and, after being forced by a setback to miss the Cheltenham Festival, wound up that season by landing the VCBet Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown festival.

His third Grade 1 victory came in the Maplewood Developments Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November 2006 and he was being prepared for last month's renewal of that race when he sustained a bad injury after schooling over four hurdles at Meade's training base near Navan.

On his only attempt in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, Iktitaf was still in contention when falling three out at Cheltenham in March.

Bred by Shadwell Estates, he won a 1m3f three-year-old maiden at Chester for Sheikh Mohammed and John Gosden before joining Meade after being sold for 85,000gns at the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sales later that year.

He wenton to win last year's Irish Cesarewitch under Pat Smullen before reverting to hurdles and running up a hat-trick of wins before finishing second to Brave Inca in the Bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting.

A son of Alhaarth, Iktitaf underwent a wind operation after finishing only sixth behind Silent Oscar in the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle in April on what proved to be his final start.

* * *

http://dynimg.rte.ie/0000ada810dr.jpg