RIP Gold Dancer

This is a gods gift to the antis, BBC, Daily mail will go into overdrive on this.

That is a PR disaster, I think the fella from the Green Party might have just won a few more votes.

The Sun clearly tempted fate with their front page this morning.

Wrong targets. Townend win at all costs was the issue.

should Paul Townend pull the hrs up after it jumped the last fence ?
he said he didnt notice until after the winning line
did he want to win the race first ?

horse*

Not only has he continued on a horse that was injured, and gave it a few smacks for good measure, but he's also arguably brought the sport into disrepute, imo.

galloped all way to line..if ewe bet it you werent shouting paul pull it up.

walofs

Desperately sad. Hopefully the horse didn't feel pain for too long.

specsavers for Rico.

Horse looked lame after jumping the last imo.

it went further clear up the run in ydc.

GEORGE.B
GEORGE.B10 Apr 26 14:53Joined: 14 Jul 04 | Topic/replies: 65,535 | Blogger: GEORGE.B's blog
Not only has he continued on a horse that was injured, and gave it a few smacks for good measure, but he's also arguably brought the sport into disrepute, imo.


ban coming ? and a long one too

Listen to what John Gosden said after the death of Rewilding.

It applied today.

ban for what? it went further away up the run in..so jock needs to pull up every horse that makes a mistake now? pmsl

Not watching, but listening to BBC Radio

They said horse put down with a broken back

John Hunt and others saying, horse was obviously wrong after the last,
compared to before the last
They are leaning towards it should have been pulled up
but very difficult situation

It was a terrible mistake, lost its back legs at the fence, clearly wasn't moving right after imo

TBF rico's right, there's no way a jock is pulling up on a run in, on a horse that's just righted itself, especially in a big race.

However, it is an awful look to have forced a horse on in that condition too, can't win either way really.

Plenty noticed it was lame after the last.. quite worrying that the Jock was one of the few that seemingly didn,t realise...

I once lost a big place bet on a horse that jumped the last fence at Fontwell ahead of it's field, and was pulled up on the run in to the line - it didn't fall, or injure itself, but jock said it just stopped (which it seemed to do, to be fair).

I think if it was that race at Fontwell (egg and spoon) Townend would have pulled it up.

was lame after last? but went further away from a non lame horse.  pmsl.

It's action suggested lame, but it was still running on too - difficult one.

Rico, apparently he broke his back, when do you think that happened?

ive seen horses break legs after the race..where do you suppose that happened?

Give me an example and I'll take a look.

When do you think Gold Dancer broke its back, if that's true?

If only your pilot had been more judicious. RIP Gold Dancer!

a top appleby horse broke its leg after the line a few years ago..how do you suppose that happened?

Replay on Sporting life at moment but will be edited out no doubt soon. When PT dismounts the horse is wobbly. However he had to  be told by a fellow jockey that tge hirse wasn't right.

vets able to diagnose a broken back standing on a racecourse...

all them mega expensive scanning machines are now scrapped.

The horse

I'll guess it wasn't after making a catastrophic mistake at the last?

What's the horse's name?

The horse was injured after jumping the last fence. This was clearly evident - the horse lost its action.

Whether the horse broke its back after jumping the last or after crossing the line is purely academic.The jockey should have stopped riding and got off the horse once the horse has lost its action.

impossible123 10 Apr 26 15:23 
The horse was injured after jumping the last fence. This was clearly evident

wat utter sh1te

In hindsight Gold Dancer should have been immediately pulled up.

But the damage was done and the story really is if horses are breaking their backs jumping fences, not even falling, is this acceptable?

Yes for now clearly, but the day will almost certainly come when it won't be.

More bad headlines, and it's up on the BBC website already, will hurry this day along.

commentator spotted it but the jocky didn't? continued to beat the horse

https://youtu.be/BjDxaehgm9k?t=347

it was 100% injured rico, you must be fishing.

yeh it was definitely injured after Townend virtually picked it up off the floor
not blaming jockey for injury in any way but its an absolute gift for the rights mob
and racing better come up with feasible answers

Rico surely doesnt think the horse got injured after the line

WAC

dave1357 10 Apr 26 15:30 
it was 100% injured rico, you must be fishing.


yeah of course,2nd was running on but cudnt gain on an obviously injured leader?

Shame..

just wattched the replay - horse lost its action for a couple of strides after the last (could happen as a result of mistakes even if not injured) - jockey gave it a couple of taps and it immediatley regained its action ans galloped all the way to the line looking fine as he was going over the line when eased up

damage done at the final fence horse runs on adrenalin and probably when he slows down the change in pace has possibly been the bit where the damage is most severe

from what i can see not the jockeys fault - he could have pulled the horse up immediately after the last but that will result on lots of horses who make mistakes but are not injured being pulled up if they take a couple of strides to regain the balance in their stride

korr wrecked.

But, hitting the horse with the persuader even when the horse's back legs were sliding on the ground? The horse was so far infront after jumping the last that its jockey could have taken a look behind, and still would have won without using the persuader, I firmly believe.

But, hey, it's only a horse. Winning a Gp 1 is the utmost at Aintree.

Not sure how anyone can defend Townend there? Complete and total muppet!

It's lucky, in a way, that he wasn't far enough clear to have been able to ease up because as we saw the problem showed itself when the horse was eased after the line, if he were able to do that on the run in he'd have broken down on the run in resulting in an even worse sight.

even if the horse hasnt been injured there was a risk that all the stuffing would have been knocked out of him by the mistake and stopped to a walk - the way the hirse responded to a couple of taps (even if he wasnt injured) suggests he had lots left

if the main damage was done at the fence i dont think the stride would have improved no matter how much the jockey rode him - adrenalin would have probabaly kept the horse going but it would have looked like a broken shopping trolley or something ans in that case woukd have been pulled-up

if the horse has broken its back it was hanging by a thread until after the line where the final damage was done imo

The belly of Killutagh Vic was sliding on the ground after jumping the last at Leopardstown a few seasons ago. Walsh rode the horse all the way to the line. The horse injured its pelvis, and was off the course for over 18 months.

Once again the jockey should have pulled the horse up straight away to minimise any possible further damage to the horse.

Giving it a crack of the whip...WAC!

The groom and Townend? It can only be awkward in the immediate future.