TRACK STUD SET TO RETIRE
IT will be an end of an era at the Gold Coast Turf Club on Saturday when beloved horse Nakanai races for the last time before retiring.
Nakanai has rubbed shoulders with the likes of royal Zara Tindall, been snapped with more supermodels than some of Australia’s biggest celebrities and won $205,355 in prizemoney along the way.
The popular Gold Coast racing icon will feature in the Benchmark 60 Handicap (1300) at his home track in what will be his last run before turning 13 on
Sunday, the age horses must retire at.
It will be his 167th race and trainer Mel Eggleston hopes he can go out by claiming his 14th career win.
“It isn’t the best field he has ever met so he has got a rough hope,” Eggleston said.
Mandy Jupp purchased Nakanai from the Magic Millions sales for just $2000 and trained him alongside Eggleston.
Nakanai loves the stable life so much that he has never gone out to the paddock for a spell in his 10year career.
“He is like one of those old footballers who doesn’t want to retire,” Eggleston said.
“He just loves the game, loves the life, loves racing and everything about it. He is smart too.”
Nakanai’s gentle nature and stunning black coat have made him to the go-to racing ambassador used by the Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland to promote race days and events through the media while everyone in racing knows his name at the track.
Eggleston has to be in Brisbane with some of his other horses but predicts the final strides down the Gold Coast track will make Jupp emotional.
“She is very attached to him and it will be (emotional) for her,” Eggleston said. “I’m glad he is having his last run on his home track.”
There are no major plans for Nakanai in retirement, with the horse likely to hang around the stables until they can find him a good home.
“It he wasn’t around another horse he would be fine but he has to be around people,” Eggleston said.
“He loves people and we hope to find him somewhere with someone who will look after him.”