Fradd back on Electronic Unicorn

[jrb]

Robbie Fradd has regained the ride on Electronic Unicorn, effective immediately - will ride him in Sunday's Chevalier Cup, replacing Doleuze. Reported in the SCMP to be at the specific request/direction of the owner, who also has Winning Dragon.

[corkey boy]

Interestingly the article mentions Size saying that Electronic Unicorn has his own work rider and that Fradd won't be on his back until the weekend. The workrider is indeed, Size himself.

[Horny Harry]

Robbie Fradd described his return to Sha Tin yesterday "like I'd never been gone", after almost 10 months away. Just nine days have passed since Fradd heard the District Court judge pronounce him not guilty of a charge of cheating at gambling, and in that time the South African's life has been on a time warp journey back to where it was before he was arrested by the ICAC on Feruary 6.
http://racing.scmp.com/english/images/news/lead23112002.jpg
He has collected his bail, had his Hong Kong riding licence renewed by the Jockey Club and returned to trackwork yesterday, a day later than anticipated after a slight delay in obtaining his riding gear.
"It honestly didn't feel any different," Fradd said. "But it is a relief. I rode about seven horses, mainly ones I'll be riding on Sunday. It's just good to be back. It has been a quick turnaround after all that waiting. Now I'm looking forward to Sha Tin on Sunday and hope I can have a bit of luck. It would be brilliant to get one or two winners on my first day back."

[cheesebeast]

RACING
Size fears worst for 'the Unicorn'

ALAN AITKEN


The local armoury for next month's International meeting has suffered a heavy blow with news that Electronic Unicorn - Hong Kong's best racehorse for the past two years - may not race again.
Almost two years to the day since he thrust trainer John Size into the limelight with an electrifying Panasonic Cup win, the 2002 Horse Of The Year was scratched yesterday from his first-up engagement in Sunday's Ladies' Purse at Sha Tin because of a leg injury.

The race was to launch "the Unicorn" on another tilt at the Hong Kong Mile, but the gelding's breathtaking Group One Champions Mile win in April may have been his swansong.

"We are not sure of the extent of the injury but it isn't good," Size said. "He had some filling in his left foreleg so we had the leg scanned to see what the problem was and you couldn't see much on the scan at all. There will be another scan in a week or so when it has settled down a bit and then we might get a better view of what's happened."

"It's sad but eventually it happens to them all and the horse is just six weeks away from becoming an eight-year-old. I wouldn't be hopeful that he could return to racing again but I suppose we'll see what happens," he said.

"I said to his owner that at least it is better to have happened now than when he was a four-year-old with all his best racing ahead of him, and we can both count ourselves lucky on that.

"Electronic Unicorn is far and away the best horse I've trained and I'm grateful to have had two fantastic years with him. We just clicked. Another like him will be tough to find - it took me 20 years of training to find one.

"If the [second] scan tells us or I feel that there's a serious problem, well, I wouldn't want to try to race him again. He's not a young horse and he's been far too good to me to put him through it."

Electronic Unicorn's record stands at stake earnings of $31,476,901 after 10 wins from 30 starts including two Stewards' Cups, the Champions Mile, Chairman's Trophy and two Chevalier Cups, and he finished runner-up in the 2001 and 2002 Hong Kong Mile.

Jockey Robbie Fradd, who has been the regular partner since he came under Size's care, said replacing the gelding would be extremely tough.

"If Electronic Unicorn is finished, I don't think we'll have another like him here for a long time," Fradd said. "I was pinning my hopes on him this year to go one better in the Mile, but good horses run their hearts out. That's why they are the ones who get these injuries.

"I feel fortunate to have been on him. His owner has been very loyal and I think we all have to pay John a tremendous compliment for what he has done - he's got races out of the horse that I don't think anyone else could have."

[jb]

Geezz thats bad news .