The Pay Your Respects to Dead Racehorses Thread

“Need To Go” would have been a more appropriate name.

London Dies

His owners Bayed for his blood, and they got it.

Starcitecht signs off at Cheltenham.

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RIP Starchitect we hardly knew ye

:pensive:

Nichols Canyon

:pensive:

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Couldn’t believe he was only 7. Seems to have been around for ages.

Tough time of year for a death. My thoughts with the family.

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Sure it 'twas only a few days before his birthday too, and absolute tragedy. My thoughts are with connections on this sad day.

Zabana RIP

Wow. The lads on the Final Furlong will milk the shite out of this.

Jesus, your man Chris Jones is having a rollercoaster year.

Rebecca Curtis has reflected on the life of her stable’s long-time flagbearer Irish Cavalier, who has lost his life after suffering complications linked to the broken leg he sustained in the summer.

The 2015 Cheltenham Festival winner, who enjoyed his biggest success when beating Menorah, Cue Card and Blaklion in last year’s Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, was injured during a race at Newton Abbot in June.

Curtis said: “He recovered from the broken leg but he was so long cross-tied that he may have suffered damaged vertebrae in the neck. One of the vertebrae may have become inflamed and started to touch the spinal cord. He had started falling over and seemed to be suffering from neurological problems.”

The eight-year-old, who raced in the colours of Andrew McIver, won eight of the 30 races he contested and also landed a valuable handicap chase at the 2016 Punchestown festival, one month after finishing fifth in Don Cossack’s Gold Cup.

Curtis added: “He was a real character. He was a noisy little horse who used to bang his door every morning asking for his food. He loved his work and gave us some great days.”

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Lessons in Milan

Who ghost-writes Paddy’s column - has to be one of the rugby lads surely??
This is a classic of the genre

’I was with him and the vet and he wasn’t distressed at all’ - Patrick Mullins pays emotional tribute to Nichols Canyon

Patrick Mullins

December 29 2017 1:00 PM

A light went out yesterday in Closutton. Though small in stature, Nichols Canyon was a Titan in our yard but sadly we won’t have him around any more after his fatal fall at Leopardstown.
With his honest head and heart of pure steel, he turned up at every gunfight and fought until he could fight no more. Braver than a pack of lions and tougher than John Wayne’s boots, he carved a place in the hearts of every Jumps racing fan.
He is the only horse to have beaten Faugheen, he is our only winner of the Stayers Hurdle in Cheltenham, he won eight Grade Ones. Horses like him are like shooting stars, you don’t know when you’ll see another.
I was with him and the vet and he wasn’t distressed at all. The adrenalin stops the pain. His shoulder was broken and the vet had no option but to put him to sleep, which he did quickly. The Wylies would have paid any money to save him but unfortunately it can’t be done, not for all the gold in Fort Knox.
Racehorses are cared for better than any outdoor animals and so while we went home last night with heavy hearts, we know that with livestock, there will be deadstock.
While it is heart-breaking when things like this happen, that is life. The cold hand around your gut loosens and you carry on.
Nichols will be missed terribly by all at Closutton but most by Dick Dowling and Maite Laubies, who looked after him. Not for him the worries of old age in a field. He went out on his shield, fitting for a horse with such warrior-like traits.

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Ah here :smile:

The one the day before bate all out altogether if you can find it

:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes::grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes::grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Horse racing cliche bingo there.

The horse racing crowd must be a bit simple.

Cross-country legend Spot Thedifference has gone to the great stable in the sky at the age of 25.

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Taquin Du Seuil