Black Jack Ketchum

[mowgli77]

Conflicting messages from the press:

O'Neill ponders Black Jack future

Black Jack Ketchum has struggled in recent races (Getty Images) Trainer Jonjo O'Neill has hinted that Black Jack Ketchum could be retired. The nine-year-old was pulled up by jockey Richard Johnson during a disappointing trip in the Steel Plate and Sections Hurdle at Cheltenham. After an equally lacklustre outing in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, O'Neill is considering retiring a horse that has won just one of his last six races. "It's looking that way at the moment," said the Irishman. "He's been a great little horse and we won't flog him." Black Jack Ketchum's present malaise is a far cry from the stunning form of his early career that saw him clock up victories in each of his first eight races, including the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival. Back at the Gloucestershire course Johnson and his mount hit the front early on New Year's Day, but after the pair hit the sixth hurdle they fell off the pace.

==================================================== JONJO O'NEILL on Thursday insisted that imminent retirement is not on the agenda for Black Jack Ketchum, but admitted that a reason has yet to be uncovered to explain why the once mighty hurdler has "fallenout of love with the game". A new low was reached for Black Jack Ketchum on Tuesday at Cheltenham, where the nine-year-old was pulled up when well beaten in a race in which connections had hoped a drop to 2m41/2f, and the application of a tongue tie, might bring about a revival in fortune. O'Neill, who had been keen to bring Black Jack Ketchum back in trip prior to the horse's third-place finish in last month's Long Walk Hurdle, said: "It is too early to be saying we are retiring the horse - I havenot even spoken to the owners yet. "It is clear that he has fallen out of love with the game, but we have found nothing wrong with him. He is fine after the race but then he hardly had a run, and he seems in great form. "Anyhorse can have a few bad runs. At this stage we're not even thinking about retiring him." However, he added: "He has been a good horse for us, and we're not going to drag him through the bushes. If something did show up that told us that he couldn't continue like he used to, then we would consider retiring him. "But until we do find something, he'll continue in training for the moment. ======================================================== Do you think it should be retired and if you were the owner/trainer what would you do to get this horse back to winning ways???

[Carl]

Re: Black Jack Ketchum I would have said retire him IF Jonjo's other stable inmates were in form but Id like to see him shipped off to another trainer maybe given a break and see how he goes.