The Candy Man connections opt for retirement over comeback
Queensland’s favourite grey has been retired this morning, with Barry Baldwin confirming that The Candy Man has run his last race.
The cult hero won 11 races in his 34-start career and amassed $553,675 in prizemoney, stringing seven wins together during the 2018/19 racing season, culminating with a narrow win in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2200m) on May 25 at Eagle Farm.
Having made his debut in May 2016, the popular horse then smashed his jaw in a stable accident, which resulted in a nine-hour operation and sidelined him from racing for two-and-a-half years.
The Candy Man first caught the attention of racing fans around the country after winning a Class 1 at the Sunshine Coast on January 6, 2019, when he stood in the gates and missed the start by eight lengths before proving too good in the run to still win.
ICYMI: Incredible scenes as The Candy Man misses the start at Sunshine Coast but rallies with a mighty effort to get the win. pic.twitter.com/qQf67EYugz
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 6, 2019
While a return to the races was the plan, the comeback wasn’t to be, with Baldwin abandoning plans to get his runner back to the races, despite the horse trialling at Deagon on December 30.
The Candy Man ran his last race on June 12, when he was a distant second-last behind Zaaki in the inaugural running of the $1.2 million Q22 at Eagle Farm.
The gelding’s trainer has advised that the Brisbane Racing Club may utilise him as a Clerk of the Course in the future, which would no doubt be a popular decision.