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That’s heartbreaking.
Also, although they’re all out to win for themselves, Slevin caused that by racing his horse up on the outside just before the fence. He did that to force an error and it worked with the worst possible outcome.
Solness wasn’t himself today at all and pushing him out at that stage of the race cost him any chance of winning anyway so very silly.Solness is a heavy ground horse , really have to question why he as there today
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
“Solness is a heavy ground horse”
His 3 G1 chase wins were achieved on yielding and good to yielding- this quote from the trainer after the most recent of them:
“The track suits him as he likes to be ridden aggressively and the drier ground here.”
Seeing a grand veteran such as Edwardstone win should be one of the joys of Jumps racing. So sad that both of his big victories this year have been overshadowed by the death of one of his rivals.
RIP Thistle Ask
That was a horrible, horrible incident. RIP Thistle Ask.
My daughter had just sat next to me when he fell. She asked if he’d be ok, i said straight away “no pet, he’ll have to be put to sleep”.
Quite hard to explain that horses die for racing but i told her as i see it.
You should have followed up with the point that if it weren’t for racing, these horses wouldn’t exist in the first place.
Great to see an old favourite like Edwardstone win a big race: he has long been a favourite of mine and I don’t think he ever got the credit he deserved for an outstanding performance in the 2022 Tingle Creek, when most of the focus was on Shishkin. If he were mine, he’d be retired on a high; I know Alan King said that the horse has lost none of his enthusiasm, and he is still obviously a very talented performer, but he clearly isn’t the horse he was and, as the saying goes, doesn’t owe anyone anything. Haven’t they learnt anything from the sad demise of Trueshan?
Totally agree Gladiator , why not go out on a high with a gallant warrior like Edwardstone , I fully expected to read that he was retired on write up after race . They should look at what happened in race , look at what he has earnt , see he is 13 next Jan and probably be thankful . It’s the age old story , owners know they will never find or breed one so good so cannot let go .
Haven’t they learnt anything from the sad demise of Trueshan?
Good point, Gladders. Have they noticed something else when looking at his last three wins? In each of the races there was a high profile fatality that swung the pendulum in their favour.
Amarillo Sky in the Game Spirit, Kalif Du Berlais in the Silviniaco Conti Chase and now Thistle Ask in the Celebration Chase. You never know when the coin flip doesn’t go your way.Can’t blame Alan King for hedging when interviewed immediately post race- he’s not the owner so he can’t declare the horse retired and it wouldn’t have been fair to expect him to voice a strong opinion before he’s had a chance to talk to the owner.
I do think it’s a bit mean of interviewers to march up to winning connections of an older horse and say , pretty much: “Well done, but anyway now that’s over, you’re going retire him on the spot, right?”
Let them enjoy their moment.“Haven’t they learnt anything from the sad demise of Trueshan?”
Trueshan didn’t die of being too old to race. He was 9. Horses can break down down at any age, albeit he was racing on quicker ground than his optimum.
Who are “they”? I don’t think Trueshan and Edwardstone have any owners in common (happy to be corrected).
I think it’s a shame that people tend to assume nowadays that if an older horse is still racing it’s because the owners are greedy. If the horse is still performing well and appears happy as far as can be told, then I think it is entirely reasonable that the horse continues to do what it was born to do.
Edwardstone has had 42 runs, which averages 5.25 runs for each season he has raced. These are hardly the figures of a horse who has been ruthlessly overraced. I hope we get to enjoy his presence again next season.
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