LONDON -- Trainer Ted Caine is under increasing pressure to retire horse-racing's all-time loser Quixall Crossett, now aged 17.

Concerns about the elderly gelding's welfare have come from animal charity officials and the Jockey Club, the sport's overseeing body.

Quixall Crossett entered the record books last July as the first horse in Britain to clock up 100 defeats and has since plodded on to 103 losses, giving him a celebrity status.

But a spokeswoman for the RSPCA animal welfare organisation told Reuters: "The last time he raced he looked in distress. He is too old. It's ridiculous to be racing him.

Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse said: "The level of publicity the horse is attracting as a perennial loser is worrying. If something goes wrong, people may ask why something wasn't done before."

He added: "Quixall's ability to perform is only going to go one way. His chances of winning are negligible.

"If you look at his racing performance. He enjoys the start of the race, but puts in less effort when it gets more difficult."

Officials have asked Caine about his plans for Quixall and urged him to consider other options for the inveterate loser.

But Caine insists he will not race the horse unless he is completely fit to run.

"We are not trying to break any records. I never had any interest in records. I have never made a penny from his celebrity status," said Caine, who owns and trains the horse on his farm near Stokesley in northeast England.

"Quixall's achievement is that he has lasted so long. It is an achievement, no matter what people say."

Very few jumpers continue beyond the age 13 and it is virtually unprecedented for a 17-year-old to race.

Over the years, Quixall has managed the occasional place finish in small fields, with prizemoney totalling about 8,500 pounds ($12,000).

"It's his life. He enjoys the races," Caine said.

"He is not being trained at the moment, but we haven't given up on him. If we get him fit we may run him again."

The RSPCA said: "As long as a veterinary surgeon says the horse is fit to race, we cannot stop him running."

Quixall Crossett is named after a Manchester United striker of the 1960s called Albert Quixall. Crossett is the name of Caine's farm.