No win situation for the jockey. If he had pulled up there would have been an outcry from punters talking through their pockets.
In that respect, it was similar to the incident in the Hunter Chase at Fakenham.
Having thought about it again, I believe that incident was worse because it should have been obvious to even an amateur jockey that the horse was exhausted.
Was it obvious to Townend that the horse was injured? I don’t believe any of us can say whether or not it was.