Racing: Death of Tavistock continues devastating bad luck for Cambridge Stud

Tavistock was a precociously talented galloper, rated good enough to tackle the Caulfield Guineas as a 3-year-old. Photo / Supplied / Cambridge Stud

For Cambridge Stud owner Brendan Lindsay the helplessness was the worst part of losing star stallion Tavistock.

The 14-year-old sire continued a devastating run of bad luck for the world famous stud farm when he was put down on Saturday, losing his battle with laminitis.

His loss comes just months after fellow Cambridge Stud stallions Roaring Lion, who had just arrived from England on a shuttle deal, and then resident stallion Burgundy also died, a scarcely believable trio of circumstances.

While the loss of any stallion is felt hard by a stud, Lindsay says watching Tavistock's battle with laminitis was heart-breaking.

"We just felt so helpless, even with all the resources we had at our disposal," says Lindsay, who with his wife Jo purchased Cambridge Stud from Sir Patrick Hogan in 2017.

"He ended up developing laminitis in both his front hooves and we had experts fly out twice from the United States to help.

"We had special shoes made to try and take the weight off his hooves and he was such a lovely horse, he tried his best to help us.

"He knew he was sick and needed help and he was a perfect patient but in the end the vets said there was no choice but to put him down. We obviously got second opinions too and all the vets agreed. It was very sad."

Tavistock was a precociously talented galloper, rated good enough to tackle the Caulfield Guineas, a rarity for a New Zealand-trained three-year-old. He came back at four to win the group one Mudgway Partsworld Stakes, a race which is ironically now named the Tarzino Trophy, after one of Tavistock's Derby winning sons. Tavistock later finished second in the Thorndon Mile and won another group one, the Waikato Draught Sprint, before being retired to stud.

As well as Tarzino (VRC Derby) he also left the ATC Derby winner of that 2015-16 season in Tavago but his pin-up son has been Hong Kong hero Werther.

Tavistock was standing at $50,000 this season until being sidelined by the laminitis.

Losing three stallions in such a short period of time has left Cambridge Stud with heavy hearts and some boxes to fill, Almanzor and Embellish their only remaining stallions. They did, however, buy the controlling interest in exciting juvenile colt Not An Option this week and will be hoping he can develop into a group one horse to join the family business.

"But at the moment we are licking our wounds a bit," admits Lindsay.

"It has been a tough time but we will take stock and then get back to business."