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I hope there are no new rules. The only rule that would prevent fatalities in racing would be the “no racing at all” rule.
Spot on. If you tighten the rules every time there’s a fatality where do people think that ends up?
Yes, I was thinking that last night as I went onto oddschecker and had a look at the pedigrees of some of the horses racing yesterday ( there was also a good article in TRP about Gaelic Warriors breeding).
1969 What a Myth won as a 12 yr old
Kauto Star ran in it as a 12 yr old but tailed off pulled up at the 10th fence. After talks they retired him rather then go for another king George. Though tragic his retirement was short lived due to paddock accident
Not the Gold cup but Viking flagship was retired after running in the champion chase aged 12yrs won by the il fated One Man who sadly weeks later died in action at Aintree
Viking flagships retirement was also short lived was put down also after a field accident
VF x
The BHA always like to be seen to be doing something and kneejerk reactions are not unknown with them. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if one of their meetings in the aftermath of Cheltenham discusses the age thing in Grade 1s. Wrongly as already pointed out. Mac Vidi being the greatest example in the Gold Cup, albeit a long time ago now.
Let’s hope not Astralcharmer, though I share your lack of faith in the BHA’s wise judgement.
I think the most recent 12 year-old to place in the Gold Cup was See More Business. He was third to Best Mate in a competitive field of 18 in 2002.
VF – one of my all-time favourite horses, Barton Bank, ran in the Gold Cup at twelve. He was retired after that and lived to the age of twenty one.
It’s not about running a 12-year old in the Gold Cup. Barton Bank ran about five times in it and was placed twice. Connections were familiar with the race and the trip
Envoi Allen never ran the Gold Cup trip in his life and everybody was realistic about him being without a real chance in the race. And I don’t think that you should pick the Gold Cup as a swansong race just for fun. No matter how good he was at 2m4f or even 3m, this extra two and a half furlongs and a fast run race were the biggest test he was asked to face so far. Why would you do that in his final race?Did they think the Gold Cup would be ran at a slower pace than the races he used to run in? I don’t understand why he wasn’t pulled up when he was so far back ( I had actually assumed that he had been). If any race needs looking at surely it should be the Martin Pipe. So much trouble during the race with inexperienced jockeys and a huge field.
“I don’t understand why he wasn’t pulled up when he was so far back”
Anzum in the Stayers Hurdle or, more recently, Booster Bob at Newbury.
Hindsight is always 20/20 vision
ERL, Edredon Bleu won the King George just shy of his twelfth birthday when having an even greater step up in trip than he was used to. Perhaps Envoi Allen’s connections thought the longer distance may be more suitable as some pace may have been lost with age.
Envoi Allen was a Grade 1 chase winner this season, and I don’t think connections were being reckless by running him yesterday.
I’m always in favour of looking at what safety improvements can be made, but risks are always going to exist sadly. We are never going to be able to find a set of rules that stop all deaths from happening.
Faugheen went novice chasing at the age of 11 and won 3 of his 4 races including 2 G1s (one at the age of 12) and was 3rd at the Festival in the other chase (also a G1).
Sea Pigeon won a Champion Hurdle at the age of 11 and Red Rum won his 3rd Grand National at the age of 12, whilst Amberleigh House also won his National at 12, for three successive years (2012, 2013 and 2014) the Grand National was all won by 11 yr olds.
For me the rules should not be brought in barring horses from competing if they reach a certain age as horses (like people) differ with their age and what they can and can’t do – a blanket rule should not be introduced.
Was Envoi Allen an outsider to win the Gold Cup, absolutely but in his last four runs before Friday he had won two G1s over 3m and as such it would appear that as he got older he clearly required further than the 2m4f he excelled at earlier in his career – incidentally his dam was a half sister to a 4m1f La Touche Cup Cross Country winner so there was stamina in the family.
He clearly passed all the pre vet checks to be able to run in the race and could he have been pulled up in the straight…….yes but I am certain had Darragh O’Keeffe felt that something was amiss with the horse at that time he would have pulled him up instead of letting him come home in his own time.
This was a tragic accident that couldn’t have been foreseen and could have just as likely happened at home after a routine canter.
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