The incredibly unfortunate reality with any level of competitive sport is injury.

Countless athletes across every sport you can think of have had their respective careers cut short, or ended, because of devastating - and often completely random - injuries.

And harness racing is unfortunately not immune to this fact, with some of our brightest stars going amiss far too early in their racing lives.

Trainers are continually learning about advanced preparation and recovery techniques and the equipment they have to train the stock is getting better and better each year. Yet, we continue to see gun horses succumb to often unpreventable issues.

This is not a column bemoaning injuries or even querying the reasoning for injuries, because I know first hand how well my own horses are cared for and how far trainers and connections will go to ensure the health of their horse is of the utmost importance.

This is about reminiscing on some of my favourite horses who did have their racing career’s cut short but when healthy performed at the absolute elite level.

Here are a bunch who were breathtaking in full flight but lost to the track at or before they reached the peak of their powers…

VINCENT: 19 starts, 16 wins, $598,803

An age-restricted Group 1 thanks to a NSW Derby, a Grand Circuit Auckland Cup and now serving mares at Alabar suggests Vincent had a long and successful career on and now off the track.

But, the truth lay in what Vincent never got to achieve and what was on his doorstep such was the tone in Mark Purdon’s voice whenever he spoke of his superstar son of Art Major.

An accident whilst in transit on an Australian open class assault brought about an abrupt and premature end to his racing career but, thankfully, as a sire, Vincent still has a chance to make a huge impact on the Australasian racing scene through his progeny.

Across his 19 starts, Vincent saluted on 16 occasions and only missed a place once in his illustrious career. As a four-year-old, he won twice at Group 2 level in New Zealand before winning the Auckland Cup.

Vincent’s speed was on full display in the NSW Derby when - as $1.50 favourite - driver Mark Pardon handed up to stable mate Ultimate Machete knowing he had a horse who could rip off a blistering last 400m. And rip he did, scorching the track in a 25.5 second last quarter to claim the $200,000 Derby.

Vincent claimed the New Zealand Derby at Addington beating a brilliant field and retired as the fastest ever three-year-old in this part of the globe.

Despite earning the ultimate at three and four and now already selling his sons and daughters for as much as $215,000, Vincent left a couple of million dollars and a dozen or so Group 1 wins on the table.

When I checked out this unbelievably good looking entire on the Alabar website, I spotted a poignant quote from Hall of Famer Purdon when speaking of Vincent: ‘'He (Vincent) came back as a four-year-old and I thought he would eventually take Lazarus’ place and go on to be the best horse in Australasia.''

PETACULAR: 26 starts, 19 wins, $454,082

I’d have to say this was the filly who I loved more than any.

‘Bonnie’ was a brute of a filly with a blend of toughness, professionalism and consistency rarely seen in horses as inexperienced but accomplished as she was.

From 26 career runs she never missed a placing and picked up a pair of gutsy Group 1 wins to go along with four Group 1 runners-up ribbons and a third in the APG Final for two-year-old fillies.

Perhaps her greatest ever run was a beaten run when at the end of a long and taxing two-year-old season she parked outside boom Kiwi filly Partyon over 2240m and ran a 1:54.7 mile rate. Like most of her Group 1 efforts, she began that Breeders Crown Final from gate 12. She was a horse who rarely had luck at the barrier draws.

The one occasion Petacular got to draw well in a big race, she led throughout in the 3YO Breeders Crown Final and gave horses like Partyon and Miss Graceland windburn. 

Only when sifting through her 26 career runs do you get a true appreciation for the consistency and utter refusal to run a bad race. She won 19 of 26 and almost half a million bucks, and - in my humble - would’ve given the open class mares a beating by the time she turned four and five.

Only Mother Nature could stop her and, devastatingly, she did.

THE STORM INSIDE: 19 starts, 16 wins, $311,125

Whenever you can peel off 11 consecutive wins to begin your career, you’re a pretty special commodity.

He smashed quality animals like Wrappers Delight and Our Little General in the 2YO Australian Pacing Gold Final and had the racing world within his grasp before two 12-month or longer injuries interrupted such a promising career.

We only really saw the very best of The Storm Inside once after his initial campaign. It was Boxing Night at Bray Raceway, Ballarat, where he reminded us of his frightening speed and brilliance. The race was the annual Lightning Sprint over 1710m and, yes, he was $1.04, which meant he was expected to win. But his breathtaking 1:50.7 mile set tongues wagging and ultimately left us wondering what could have been.

He retired as the Ballarat and Swan Hill track record holder and was unbeaten as a juvenile colt. He’s an incredibly well-bred son of Rocknroll Hanover, which is why you’ll find him standing at Alabar Stud currently.

Only once did he miss a placing in his 19 career runs, with 16 of those victories.

SOHO TRIBECA: 59 starts, 21 starts, $1,103,554

When my mate Mick Stanley took control of preparing Soho Tribeca after Kim Prentice turned him into a West Australian Pacing Cup champ I recall thinking that Soho Tribeca had the pacing world at his feet as Lazarus, Tiger Tara and Lennytheshark had recently retired or moved to the US.

Of course, after a few momentous runs for Stanley, the beautiful son of American Ideal suffered a significant and ultimately career-ending leg issue in a race at Albion Park.

Before injury, he did plenty on the track here in Victoria and out west in WA. He topped Chicago Bull and Galactic Star to claim the 4YO Golden Nugget, and a couple of his greatest runs were in defeat.

A nifty Greg Sugars drive gave him every possible chance in the A. G. Hunter Cup of 2017, when he pushed the great Lazarus to the limit, and his Miracle Mile run a month or so later was just incredible.

He raced outside the leader for the duration of the mile and was the horse enforcing a speed we’ve never seen in this part of the world. Eventually, My Field Marshal and Jilliby Kung Fu were able to climb past the lion horse but Tribeca was the one who set up the 1:46.9 mile and only went down half-neck.

Soho Tribeca’s career came to an end with 59 starts next to his name, which is hardly a short racing lifespan, but those who recall the time know he was just about to explode on the Grand Circuit scene.

JILLIBY KUNG FU - 34 starts, 16 wins, $529,710

The beauty of this colt was his continual rise to stardom, despite winning just one of his first six starts.

A 3YO Vicbred Final was his first major scalp at start No. 21. He then exploded to prominence winning Victoria's 4YO Bonanza at 15/1 and then carried that form to Sydney claiming the Chariots of Fire in 1:48.8.

Two weeks after his Chariots win, he ran a 1:46.99 mile to miss out on a famous Miracle Mile victory with merely a small nose keeping him from becoming the fastest ever horse in our sport.

Kung Fu managed five starts after that Miracle Mile, winning a couple, but his career totalled in January 2020.

Fortunately for his fans, he is one of many colts who though forced into retirement will get their opportunity at stud.

BE HAPPY MACH - 12 starts, 10 wins, $344,935

This speed demon was a killing machine before the injury bug struck. A recent stud deal suggests his racing career may be over, but while it lasted, boy was he something.

A Victoria Derby mishap and third place in the APG Final at Albion Park were the only blips on his impressive resume with his remaining 10 starts being wins.

A 2YO NSW Breeders Crown victory over Crunch Time and Jilliby Nitro was special, as was his 2YO Breeders Crown win over impressive types like Perfect Stride, Zeuss Bromac, Pacifico Dream and Mirragon.

The first quarter of the last mile was 27.8 seconds in that Crown final and Be Happy Mach was working all the way - the fashion in which he cleared out from his rival up the lane told us he was something special.

Unfortunately, his last start was the Victoria Derby heat failure in January 2020.

SOHO LANIKAI - 1 start, 1 win, $13,680

When you win your first - and only - ever race start by 65 metres it’s fair to wonder just how good you could be.

Soho Lanikai did exactly that on February 8, 2017, when he blazed the Melton course for a 1:54.0 mile on debut. Oh, and, he sat parked for the duration of the race until the 600m when he left them absolutely standing still.

The regally bred son of Somebeachsomewhere out of super-producer Obahma Joy has not been seen on a racetrack since.

Word is his racing career is not completely over, but he’s currently taking his turn at stud, trying to turn his supreme breeding and phenomenal debut performance into a stallion career.

Race caller Luke Humphries gasped as he strode across the finish line 65m in front and followed up with, "well, he could be anything on that run.”

It’s one thing to have a career like Soho Tribeca or Vincent before succumbing to injury, but when you produce the best debut performance in a decade and never get back to the track it truly is a racing travesty.

ULTIMATE SNIPER - 20 starts, 14 wins, $$842,792 (NZD)

A relatively lightly-raced four-year-old blitzing older, more seasoned horses across a gruelling Inter Dominion series, only to be never seen again on a race track.

Ultimate Sniper - like his Group 1-winning big bro Machete - was a horse the All Stars barn always had to manage. And, ultimately, his gut-busting performance in the Auckland ID spelled the end of a magnificent, yet unfinished career.

In the ID Final he sat parked over the demanding 2700m journey only to outstay and outclass horses like Thefixer, Cruz Bromac, Mach Shard and San Carlo.

His run in the second heat over the 1700m at Alexandra Park needed to be seen to be believed. He was three-wide the trip and gamely held off the chasing bunch in 1:52.6.

Like brother Ultimate Machete, there was much more under the bonnet for Sniper but his body failed him and now we await his progeny in years to come.

The sad truth is horses - like human athletes - will always get injured.

Despite the best laid plans and every intention to look after the horse’s health and welfare, bad things often happen to good horses for no apparent reason - and that’s always the saddest part.

The low of losing a horse to injury (or worse) is a far more significant impact than any huge win, no matter how great the race.

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.