Racing: Injury last straw for Jack Cade

One of the longest battles of Mark Purdon's training career ended in defeat yesterday when outstanding pacer Jack Cade was retired.

The six-year-old will not race again after fracturing a cannon bone in his off-side front leg during a training session this week.

While Purdon, who is in Adelaide preparing Young Rufus for tonight's A$100,000 South Australia Cup, was disappointed by the news it hardly came as a complete shock.

Jack Cade has waged a war against unsoundness since his three-year-old season.

"You could see it every time he warmed up for a race as it took him an age for his troublesome legs to get comfortable.

"But that didn't stop him winning the New Zealand Free-For-All, Sires Stakes Final and New Zealand Derby as well as running second in last season's Miracle Mile and third in the New Zealand Cup.

"That just goes to show what a great horse he is," said Purdon.

"He has had problems right throughout his career and never got the chance to show just how good he could have been.

"He only had a few campaigns in open class and being the thick-winded sort of horse he is, I would have loved to have had two or three good seasons racing him in free-for-all company."

Takanini vet Ivan Bridge, who has been working on Jack Cade, said the broken bone could have been pinned and Purdon could have started again next season.

But Purdon says the time has come to let the gelding enjoy his retirement.

"He has come back from injury that many times. I have never spent so much time on one horse in my life.

"So he will spend the next three months boxed and then he can retire to a nice paddock somewhere."

Jack Cade was the best three-year-old of his year and would have earned well over $1 million had it not been for his injuries.

He was robbed of several group one wins by his problems, none more so than the 2003 Chariots Of Fire in Sydney, for which he was a $1.50 favourite before breaking down just three days before the race.

"That was him, always getting injured, but he was one of the best and bravest horses I have ever trained," added Purdon.

Jack Cade fought his way back to something like his best this season and gave one last demonstration of his courage when he sat parked to beat Elsu in the Summer Cup at Alexandra Park on December 23.

Just a week later Elsu was his second Auckland Cup, while Jack Cade was again luckless after being startled into an early gallop. That pretty much summed up his career.

His retirement is the first high-profile loss for the Interdominions, which start at Alexandra Park on March 4, although how potent he could have been in the series with his leg problems is arguable.

But the Auckland Trotting Club are still looking at one of the strongest series ever, with all the main players having indicated they will be at Alexandra Park.

Nominations for the series close on Thursday, with a $750 payment for pacers and $250 for trotters and ATC racing boss Robert Death expects to be swamped this week.

"As always trainers wait until the last minute but the early indications are very good," said Death.

"We have already spoken to all the major players in Australia and the best of their pacers are coming while I expect their three best trotters here too.

"When you add that to the great depth we have in our trotters at the moment the competition for spaces in that series is going to be very intense."