Champion sprinter Hay List has been euthanized yesterday afternoon after losing a lengthy with laminitis.
Hay List recorded the most memorable win of his racing career in the 2012 edition of the Newmarket Handicap. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Hay List has been plagued by injury problems throughout his racing career and since his retirement at the end of last year had been battling with the hoof disease laminitis.
Hay List made his racing debut under the care of Perth trainer Jim Taylor and he started his career with eight straight victories before he suffered his first race defeat when he finished sixth in the 2009 edition of the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot.
The Statue Of Liberty gelding was transferred to the care of John McNair and he finished a close second in his maiden race start for his new trainer before he scored his first win at Group level with a dominant victory in the Group 3 Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Hay List started his 2011 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a win in the Group 3 McEwen Stakes (1000m) and recorded his maiden win at Group 1 level in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley, but was no match for champion mare Black Caviar in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington.
The highly-rated sprinter finished second behind the wonder mare again in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000,) in 2011 and added wins in both the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) and Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) to his racing resume before he gave Black Caviar a scare when second in both the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m).
Hay List missed the 2011 Spring Racing Carnival due to injury, but he returned to racing in the 2012 Lightning Stakes and gave Black Caviar arguably the toughest test of her racing career to date.
In the absence of Black Caviar, Hay List was allocated the top weight of 58.5 kilograms for the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and he ran down Buffering in the final stages of the race to break the modern day weight-carrying record for the race before he finished second in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m).
Hay List underwent emergency surgery for colic in April of 2012 and suffered a leg injury while recovering from the operation, but the Davenport Family elected to race on with the veteran gelding and he finished a credible fourth in the 2012 edition of the Challenge Stakes.
The gelding finished almost 20 lengths behind Black Caviar in the 2013 edition of the TJ Smith Stakes and he was retired after failed to fire in three race starts during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
Hay List only recorded three wins at the highest level of racing, but at his best was rated at a figure of 125 – making him one of the highest rated horses in the history of Australia racing and two rating points greater than current Group 1 sprinter Lankan Rupee and Terravista.
