Freddie Head spoke of his pride in Goldikova after the brilliant mare ended her career with third place in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs.
Three times a winner of the showpiece event, Olivier Peslier’s mount was the subject of an objection after her rider manoeuvred off the rail, but the placings remained unaltered following an inquiry.
Once in the clear, Goldikova held every chance but in the end had no answer as Court Vision and Turallure flashed past the post together.
After an anxious wait, the Dale Romans-trained Court Vision was given the verdict, in the process becoming the second-biggest priced winner ever at the Breeders’ Cup.
Head said of his 14-times Group One-winning six-year-old: “For two strides Olivier thought she was going to win again, but then she was gone.
“But it was the normal way to ride her. She has won a lot of her races by following the leaders and arriving late. We found excuses for her recent defeats, but maybe she has lost a bit of that special thing she had that made her so great.
“Winning 14 Group One races and competing against the best is something exceptional, and I think she has earned her place as one of the great horses of the last century.
“I’m very, very happy and proud at this moment, and I knew it was going to be tough for her.
“For myself maybe the blues will come a little later.”
Head won the Mile twice as a rider on the great Miesque.
Asked to compare the two, Head said: “I think Goldikova had a much tougher time against better horses than Miesque faced, and I don’t think Miesque could have gone on as long as Goldikova did.
“I think the owners intend to send her to Galileo.”
Peslier said: “At the last turn I was behind the lead and I moved a little to my outside. She was coming through very easy, but when I gave her the first crack of my whip she didn’t respond in quite the usual way.
“She was not quite the same, and that turn of foot did not carry her all the way to the winning post.”
AAP PA TURF