KAHDON LOSES BATTLE
Kahdon lost the biggest battle of her life to a bacterial infection at a veterinary clinic in Victoria on Monday, July 19.
NZ’s top 3YO trotter struggled to beat the infection for much of the week leading up to her demise.
“She was 50-50 all the way through really, then took a turn for the worse,” said trainer Mark Jones.
“They were teeing her up for an operation at 4pm, but she died an hour earlier,” he said.
“I feel sorry for Peter Chambers (owner). He loves his horses and was pretty upset.”
It was a double blow given Kahdon could not be saved for breeding.
Being a daughter of Sundon from a half-sister to the dam of champion squaregaiter Lyell Creek, her breeding future was assured.
“She would have been a goldmine as a broodmare, but everyone did as much as they could to save her. She was in the right place to do the best for her that they could.”
Mark says no-one probably knew quite how severe her infection was due to Kahdon’s courage.
“She was a very tough filly and probably didn’t show outwardly just how much she was fighting it,” Mark said.
Kahdon only raced 14 times for 6 wins and 5 seconds and $177,234 in stakes.
She raced three times for Mr Chambers, who purchased her just a few days before the $100,000 Harness Jewels 3YO Ruby at Cambridge on June 5.
She finished a gallant second after starting from the back row to Vulcan at the end of a 1:58 mile in the Jewels.
Kahdon then easily won the $A50,000 Victoria Trotters Oaks at Melton on June 11 for Mark, before being outfinished late by Rostevarren in a Victoria Trotters Derby on July 3.
Earlier, for Leeson trainer Paul Nairn she had beaten Miami H in the G1 Northern Trotting Derby on May 7, and won the G2 Hutton Racing Stables Sires’ Stakes Trotters Championship at Auckland On May 30.
She had also been the runnerup to another Peter Chambers-owned filly Shezoneoftheboyz in the G1 NZ Trotting Derby at Addington on March 26, and was also the runnerup behind Emma Hamilton in the G3 NZ Trotting Oaks on April 9.
While Kahdon’s demise is very sad for her connections, Mark is confident Derby winner Shezoneoftheboyz will regain her best next term for Mr Chambers.
The Brylin Boyz filly mixed her gait towards the end of her campaign, but Mark found a problem, which has subsequently been rectified.
She will continue to spell at Tony Shaw’s Cambridge property for another two months.
“Peter (Chambers) will decide then whether to race her in Australia or New Zealand. We’ll map out some plans but will be wanting to qualify her in NZ for the 4YO Jewels,” Mark said.