Suspected snake bite in the Badlands claims Beaudiene Boaz

Former Harness Jewels winner Beaudiene Boaz is dead, victim off a suspected snake bite.

The crack pacer, who was sold by Lincoln Farms in 2014, and went on to win 25 races and $1.25 million, had only just been retired by leading Perth trainer Gary Hall.

Sent south to a farm where he was to begin stud duties, the seven-year-old was found dead in his paddock this week.

“There’s no confirmation it was a snake bite but that’s what the vet reckoned caused it, judging by vital signs like his gums,’’ says Hall.

Hall recalls how he “paid far too much’’ for the Badlands Hanover colt after he scored a big upset in the Two-Year-Old Emerald at Cambridge.

“I could have bought him before the Jewels but I told the boys he’d get his brains kicked in by the stars and we’d get him cheaper afterwards.’’

Gary Hall … hoped to stand the horse commerciallyBut when the Lincoln Farms’ colt downed Bettor Spirits and Express Stride at odds of more than 37-to-one, Hall ended up having to dig deeper to find the new $250,000 asking price.

Within a few weeks of landing in Perth Beaudiene Boaz won the $125,000 Golden Slipper, the first of his five Group I wins.

In a trailblazing campaign Beaudiene Boaz won 19 of his first 23 starts in Perth.

A West Australian Derby win was followed by the Four-Year-Old Classic then the Gold Nugget before the $300,000 Fremantle Pacing Cup.

“He was a really good horse,’’ says Hall. “I thought he was going to be next best to Quinny (champion pacer I’m Themightyquinn) but he didn’t achieve what he could have.’’

Beaudiene Boaz ended up injuring a suspensory ligament and just when it looked like he would stand up to training when he made it back to the stable, he went in the leg again.

“He ended up being a bit of a bleeder too and in hindsight he might have been hurting because he changed from the quietest stallion you would find to being real nasty.

“His whole personality changed and I even had to twitch him to put his gear on.

“But he was a great pacer and were going to put a couple of mares to him. He was such a nice type I thought he might throw some nice horses.’’

This week’s freak death ended Hall’s hopes of standing the horse commercially.