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With One Man as well, I’ve come to deeply dislike the Aintree meeting. I went completely to pieces when Denman fell there so I really hope they never send him for the National. Or any other race at Aintree.
The Mildmay course is a fairly frightening proposition on good or faster going, to my money more so than the National course for all that that one attracts the worse publicity.
Speed kills, and tracks don’t come much more speedy than the Mildmay under those sort of conditions. That’s even before one factors in the better animals the course attracts racing a yard or two quicker than your workaday animals around other, equally sharp tracks.
Softening the Mildmay fences might set an extraordinarily unwise precedent, if it merely encourages horses to take more liberties than before.
Far rather, perhaps, that Aintree is instructed to produce good going for that course and not a single increment faster, rather than be permitted good to firm at worst; though there again the can of worms that stipulating one ground sort at one venue and another at another would open may render that suggestion unworkable.
In any event, the absolute worst fatality I ever saw at Aintree actually came on genuinely good going, when the Martin Pipe French import Elzoba broke a leg in the 1990 renewal of the Red Rum Chase.
The sight of the ill-starred gelding trying to run after the field for a while after with a clearly shattered near hind leg was as horrific as anything I’ve witnessed in over 29 years of watching the sport.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Best Mate for me
Like many, I went to Exeter that fateful day in November just to see him.
As he led the field out, everyone was clapping and, no doubt in my mind, he knew it was for him. He was named ‘best turned out’ as he walked by, much to the delight of the crowd.
I had a bet on him that day – one of those heart ruling the head moments. My £5 bet on him at 12/1 is still used as a bookmark!
The best looking horse I’ve ever seen and Henrietta Knight, who went down to the start to admire him, would later say "I said before the race that he was too beautiful for this world".
His death was announced over the PA system and the woman broke down in tears as she told a stunned crowd the sad news. I was putting a bet on Racing Demon at the time, who won the following race.
In a poetic kind of way, Kauto Star was in the field that day. You could say Best Mate was passing the torch. Would have been even more so if he had won.
I was also present when George Washington broke down. I never actually saw it happen. I was watching the race on a monitor near the exit when I made it my duty, somewhat, to watch George come round the final bend through the seating area. It wasn’t until I got back to the station that I heard about it.
Such a character of a horse. The people around me in the parade ring were immediately endeared to him after he stood to look at the crowd. Such a handsome individual. Mick Kinane said about the injury "The horse was very brave – he saved me".
For me Monsieur Le Cure and One Man.
Monsieur le cure trained by John Edwards,i remember him beating One Man in the 94 RSA,handsome beast he was too!
for me One Man & Gloria Victus stick in the mind I remember watching Gloria being loaded into the ambulance & how brave he was being. I was at work when One Man was killed at Aintree & it broke my heart.
I was given a tribute to Dessie a while back & when I looked one of the photos was actually One Man it has pride of place in the kitchen & i often find myself talking to the boys as i cook.Fortunately I never saw the fatal falls of Strong Promise,Ei Ei and One Man.
Alverton I can remember watching at my grans as a 6 year old,very sad.
The Last Fling probably the saddest as he’d been a favourite for many years and I always felt he was at the end of his tether when he fell and should have been pulled up.
Like a few others its Best Mate for me.
I shall always remember that day and the way i felt. It was so strange in some ways to be so bothered about a horse because im not a sentimental person – but it got me and i really felt quite emotional.
I think what really done it was the interviews with connections etc and you could see the loss really was as dear as a parent or sibling to them.
Grey Desire, the same for me, Alverton at my grans as a six year old. My first experience of a fatality in racing. I still remember it vividly, as my dad had bet Rubstic. He was well pleased obviously, but as a six year old, I couldn’t quite get my head round a horse dying.
The worst sights I’ve ever seen on the course, were Griffins Bar in the 98 National, a stricken Book of Music being comforted by his jockey in the 95/96 King George, and a horse called Lilla Sophia in the bumper at Aintree last year.
The worst visually for me though was Rasharrow at Kelso, it was horrific, easily the worst I’ve seen. Took me a while to get over that one.
For just the circumstances, there will never be a greater tragedy than One Man. I’ve never felt as low with a fatality, as I did with that one.
Have to agree about One Man; I’ve spoken to people that were there that day who said they thought at the time they would never be able to go racing again. I know it sounds melodramatic but when he died the sky here turned grey, and I think it started to hail. I felt numb for days. I was at Kelso when Rasharrow died, but it happened over the far side of the track and for some reason I didn’t know it had happened till later.
Forgive N’Forget in 1988 Gold Cup. A former Gold Cup winner travelling like he was going to win another one when he broke a leg. Bloody tragic. The trainer Jim Fitzgerald was a legend of a man too.
I quite often watch the replays of all Red Rum’s Nationals. There is one truly awful moment amongst the euphoria – the sight of Grey Sombrero fading into the background in 1973 with his broken leg swinging. As well as being tragic, it is though, a constant reminder of just how remarkable RR was – getting round safely 5 times is a feat in itself, let alone the 3 wins + 2 seconds – and in the days before the safety modifications.
Grey Sombrero was an early favourite of mine and he was running a fine race up there in front – I think he actually broke his shoulder. The thing that strikes me about this is that when the race finish is shown he is standing there being held, no-one seems to be doing anything, and that’s a good 5 minutes or so since his fall. Nowadays his suffering would have been ended much quicker.
Yes Red Rum’s performances were absolutely fantastic – 5 times over those 30 fences and at such a speed which gave him 3 wins and 2 2nds – I can’t see that ever being matched!It will always be DAWN RUN and ALVERTON for me,i can remember seeing dawn run fall and knowing she was dead , it was so bad, i started crying and my daughter
was saying she might get up mum, but you just knew from the way she fell it was going to be desperate news.
Alverton was going great when falling and i remember my father saying no gold cup winner should be out same season trying to win the national, another heartbreak.So many sad memories on here.
The sight of Grey Sombrero every time I see the 73 National never gets any easier to watch. Ekbalco was one of my early favourites so he was a big loss. More recently Young Kenny being injured in front of the stands at Haydock was sickening and finally one that always sticks in my mind for some reason is Bacchanal dying in the Pillar Chase at Cheltenham.
What in the name of all that is good and wonderful are we wallowing in this needless sorrow for.Life is for the living. Let the dead bury the dead.Sooner or later everything dies. For goodness sake move on.
It’s awful when any horse dies on the track, but sometimes it’s a comfort to know that other people felt/feel the same way. When One Man died no one I knew was into racing at all, so I kept it to myself. We obviously haven’t forgotten any of the great horses mentioned or we wouldn’t still be thinking and talking about them. Everyone who has contributed to this thread seems to feel a little bit of sadness inside that just doesn’t go away. It’s good to talk about it, and honour their memory at the same time.
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