Caracciola Shines at Cesarewitch
On Saturday, 18 October 2008, during the Champions Day at Newmarket Racecourse, an eleven year old horse racing veteran proved that he still had what it takes to outclass his younger counterparts. The Cesarewitch Handicap is run over a distance of 3 621 meters and is one of the magnificent racing events hosted on Champions Day. As always, Newmarket Racecourse was filled with spectators waiting for breathtaking horse racing action, which they got in almost every race on the card. But Caracciola was the shocker for the day, as he surged towards the wire and to victory.
It seems no-one has told Caracciola that he is no longer a four year old, as he performs, runs and acts exactly as if he was seven years younger than his true age. He has always shown enthusiasm and excitement before and during his racing events, and he has proved himself to be a phenomenal racehorse as a hurdler and in flat horse racing events. With more than fifty career starts behind his name and a few memorable victories to go with his veteran status, trainer Nicky Henderson has grown extremely fond of Caracciola and they have made a good team. And at his age, one would expect Caracciola to be more comfortable over shorter distances, but he seems to enjoy stretching his legs and taking on the challenging events.
During the 2008 Cesarewitch Handicap Caracciola was ridden by Eddie Ahern, and was not very popular for winning this event. But the 50-1 horse was not interested in the predictions of the betting public as he pulled away from the rest of the contender field, with Arc Blue and Mamlook close on his heels. Caracciola was not about to settle for second place, as he did last year, and surged ahead to win the Cesarewitch Handicap by three lengths. Arc Bleu finished in second place, with Mamlook close behind in third and the race favorite, Askar Tau, having to settle for fourth position.
Both Henderson and Ahern could not contain their excitement after being victorious, singing the praises of Caracciola. It is evident that this eleven year old is still not tired of racing, and that he remains determined about every race. If he continues as he did on Saturday, there will be plenty more surprises for the horse racing industry where Caracciola is involved.