Better Loosen Up Euthanised

Better Loosen Up (Aus) (Loosen Up–Better Fantasy {Aus}, by Better Boy {Ire}), who recorded a landmark victory for Australia on foreign soil when proving a determined winner of the 1990 Japan Cup, was euthanised Wednesday at Living Legends Australia after battling ongoing heart problems. He was 30 years old.

Trained initially by Les Theodore, for whom he won a Bendigo maiden, Better Loosen Up improved while under the care of the late Bart Cummings, winning three times at metropolitan tracks before a third in the Listed Gosford Guineas and a runner-up effort behind top filly Riverina Charm (Aus) in the G1 Canterbury Guineas.

Subsequently sent to South Australia and turned over to the legendary Colin Hayes, Better Loosen Up registered the first of his seven Group 1 successes in the race now known as the Emirates S. and completed a brace of top-level scores in the G1 Kingston Town Classic and G1 Railway S. at Ascot. He was also second to the great Vo Rogue (Aus) in the 1990 G1 Australian Cup.

With Colin Hayes stepping down from the Lindsay Park operation at the end of the 1989/1990 season, Better Loosen Up was conditioned through the rest of his career by David Hayes and put together one of the most impressive streaks in the history of the Australian turf. Following victories in the G2 Feehan S. (now Dato' Tan Chin Nam) and Turnbull S.–then a Group 2–Better Loosen Up defeated the likes of Canny Lad (Aus) in the 1990 G1 Cox Plate (video) and took out the G1 Mackinnon S. a week later.

Sent to Tokyo for the Japan Cup–at the time the richest race in the world, Better Loosen Up was game as ever to defeat a field including European superstar Belmez (video). He returned to Australia to annex a second straight running of the G2 Blamey S. and turned the tables on Vo Rogue in the 1991 Australian Cup, the 5 1/2-length margin of victory the largest of his storied career. The 1991 Australian Horse of the Year, Better Loosen Up retired with a mark of 17 wins from his 43 trips to the post and earnings of A$4,773,970.