Rarely has a Grade One victory felt so hollow than Gold Dancer’s in Friday’s William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree.
With the race in safe keeping, the Willie Mullins-trained horse blundered badly at the final fence but remained upright and was ridden out by Paul Townend to win by almost five lengths.
Almost immediately after the line Townend pulled Gold Dancer up and dismounted. It was quickly established the horse had broken his back and he was euthanised.
On the eve of Saturday’s Grand National it was a brutal reminder of both the dangers of the sport and the fragility of its central participants.
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The sad outcome was also a reminder of the digital media culture, with Ireland’s champion jockey widely vilified online for not pulling Gold Dancer up immediately after the mistake.
However, Townend told the stewards it had taken the horse a stride or two to gather himself after the mistake before running on in a straight line to the finish. It was only when pulling up that he felt Gold Dancer’s action change.
Crucially, James Given, the British Horseracing Authority’s director of equine safety and welfare, supported Townend. He said the horse ran “straight as an arrow” to the line and that his action was typical of a three-mile chaser in the final stages of a race. The stewards noted Townend’s explanation.
Joseph O’Brien and JJ Slevin combined for Banbridge in the National and warmed up with a Grade One success through Zeus Power in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
Just a neck prevented the cousins from a famous top-flight double as a gallant Solness just came up short against Grey Dawning in an earlier, memorable duel for the JCB Melling Chase.
There was further Irish success in the Topham over the big National fences as Conor Stone-Walsh partnered Will The Wise to victory over Ile Atlantique. It was a first Aintree victory for the rider, 19, who’ll partner his first Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders in the National.
