Trainer ‘gutted’ as boom youngster euthanized

AUSTRALIA’S champion three-year-old pacer Hollywood Strip has been euthanized after suffering another massive injury blow.

Trainer Brad Hewitt was choking back tears as he confirmed the news with the “best and most beautiful pacer you could ever train.”

Hollywood Strip, a winner of 13 of his 15 starts, developed laminitis in a hind leg as he started to recover from two major surgeries on his pastern bone in the other hind leg.

He was euthanized yesterday.

“It’s just devastating,”Hewitt said. “He’s obviously been putting all the weight on the good leg.

“The vet rang and he was really struggling and we had no option. It came out of nowhere and just when we thought he was recovering well from the second surgery.

“Sunday morning everyone was upbeat because he seemed so well and now this.

“He’s such a beautiful big horse. It’s a real kick in the guts. He was such a star and only just starting out. He could do things only the really special ones can.

“One of the hardest things is going to be telling my daughter (Ruby). He’d go to her every time and pop his head over the stall for a pat.

“It’s part of racing, but this one is especially hard to swallow.”

Hollywood Strip was already a dual Group One winner, including the NSW Derby, and underlined his potential with a huge third to subsequent Inter Dominion winner Captains Mistress and Kiwi star Marketplace in the Group One Rising Sun at his last run on July 4.

Hollywood Strip fractured a pastern bone just days before the Group One Queensland Derby on July 18 when an odds-on favourite.

“It was a pretty straight-forward operation,” Hewitt said. “He had three screws put in, but then he must have lashed out a week later and re-broken it.

“It was even worse. He needed surgery again and had eight screws put in the second time.”

• ADAM HAMILTON, HRA Media