Launching Pad Hero Kuro Kismet Retired

RACING fans have seen the last of top flight sprinter Kuro Kismet, succumbing to a career ending injury in a trial at Sale on Sunday night.

RACING fans have seen the last of top flight sprinter Kuro Kismet, succumbing to a career ending injury in a trial at Sale on Sunday night.

The high-flying son of Aston Dee Bee retires with 14 wins and a further 14 placings from 37 starts with $216,525 in stake earnings.

Trained by Matt Clark, the gifted chaser's crowning glory came at Sandown Park in April when defeating Aston Rupee to annex the lucrative Group 3 Launching Pad Final (515m).

"It's a sad day but he's given us a great ride; he's a special animal," Matt Clark told the Greyhound Recorder.

"At his last start at The Meadows in August he raced poorly and we discovered he had bone chips around the hock which were too close to the tendon to remove.

"We looked like we were winning the battle to get him back to the track but in a trial at Sale on Sunday he broke the other hock so it's all over for his racing days now.

"But I'm keen to give him a go at stud. We'll bring him in at the low end of the market and see what response we get. I know one thing, I'll definitely be using him."

While Kuro Kismet handed Clark and owner Mel Mayle many memories during his career it was his stellar victory in the $150,000-to-the-winner Launching Pad that stands above all else.

"Especially because he beat Aston Rupee twice in the series," Clark reflected.

"To win a race like that is amazing but to beat a champion along the way on two occasions to do it only adds to it.

"He was only hitting his best when he injured himself. It's a shame but we'll look ahead to getting him to stud now."

Responsible for some blinding times during his career, including a string of sub-29.20 performances at Sandown Park, Clark is adamant the hulking 35 kilo chaser has all the attributes to make an impact at stud.

"He's by Aston Dee Bee who is going sensational and his dam Mayfair Miss is a sister to champion Up Hill Jill who is the dam of Friday's Melbourne Cup winner Koblenz," Clark said.

"And he was just a fantastic chaser and a great style of a dog. He wasn't over raced so I'm pretty excited about it actually.

"He'll stand for $990 once he's recovered."

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