Irish National

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Looked like Wichita just stumbled over the first, went down, and was on his way back up when he got wiped out by another horse. Looked like he got a right bad smack to the head.
 
I suppose we shoudl be thankful it wasn't AP who got the smack to the head.
Hope it was quick for poor Wichita, he's done me a few favours over the last years
That's the problem with those big field races

Didn't anyone else see Drumcovis get up? Sure Des S mentioned it as well
 
Yeah sad loss of WL. Not sure about the Martin horse, was getting up but not sure he was alright.

Great winning reactions from the winning jockey afterward, the sheer thrill was there for all to see and came across very well in his interview afterwards.
 
I was just aobut to post beofre the race that Church Island was a huge price - 112 on BF and a big place price too - then thought, nah, if he was remotely fit and fancied he wouldn't be that long! and I didn't back him either, I'm not on a 'betting week' ...

2nd & 3rd for Hourigan's yard at fancy odds, there will celebrations there tonight!
 
Isinglass said:
I am so gutted, that was an awful race, don't know how the commentator could say it was a great race. Okay, so a nice horse did win and well done to someone, but the race was a mess!

Days like this make me wonder why I love national hunt racing, agree with Gareth - f*ck!
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backed the winner but agree - nothing to be happy about. just f*** horrible ....:(
 
I wait for Cheltenham all year, like a lot of people and only death would stop me being there every day, and down on the turf to watch the horses up close. There were many highlights, some of my all time favourite horses won and some who we knew personally. But for me the very best moment was Witchy and AP winning and I had no connection to them at all. We were all on them and were screming ourselves stupid. So hard to have them at a high like that one moment and then next time out to lose them.

Awful as well to lose such a nice horse as Drumconvis. Anyone who has ever had horses will know that horses such as these two are so hard to come by, and it seems so easy to lose. :(
 
Such mixed feelings watching this race. To lose WL at the first, also thinking that AP was badly injured for a moment and then cheering home Harry Skelton. Doesn't racing bring out the all the emotions in you?
 
Diminuendo said:
Such mixed feelings watching this race. To lose WL at the first, also thinking that AP was badly injured for a moment and then cheering home Harry Skelton. Doesn't racing bring out the all the emotions in you?
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Definitely, some absolutely great races have been ruined by some terrible losses. Even Istabraq's first Champion Hurdle - whenever I see a replay I just try my best not to watch the Shadow Leader fall at the final hurdle...not good.
 
Drumconvis - why make him get up? From what I saw of him getting up (as Niche Market et al came past) there was clearly something wrong with one of his hind legs.

Brutal race :(
 
Dims and Gal sum it up for me too. Great win by Harry and I like that horse and trainer a lot too and I wanted to cheer them on, but my heart was lying back there at the first.

Awful to see Drumconvis hobbling too.
 
It was almost as those Drumconvis jumped to attention when the other horses came past.....very sad
 
Unfortunately the Irish National is always a race that seems to catch out some really decent horses. Remember Alexander Taipans horrid and fatal fall. I also remember the fateful day some years ago when the Irish National claimed the life of the brilliant Rushing Wild, there have been many others along the way. Now I have never been to Fairyhouse, but can any of the Irish contributors tell me if the fences there are better packed compared to the other tracks?
 
Same connections of Drumconvis also lost Xenophon in the race...Noel Meade lost two in it one year, Latvian Lark and Coq Hardi Affair. Has a pretty brutal record, but I don't think it's a particularly brutal track; I just wonder if its a case of slightly quicker ground and novices going a bit quicker than they have at any stage this season or indeed over fences.

Then again, Wichita and Drumconvis both ran at Cheltenham; I tend to think today was just unfortunate. Drumconvis took a heavy enough fall but it wasn't a pearler, he obviously just fell awkwardly, could have happened anywhere in any race.
 
Yeah there is nothing particularly unfair or an obvious problem with Fairyhouse. Ground looks in fantastic condition, they did well to water it last night....all positive feedback from the jockeys.
 
Presumably it's always a max field, meaning bunching, being unsighted at fences, and being BD are all that bit more likely. And they probably go that little bit faster than the horses are used to... I'm sure horses pick up on the 'buzz' too, esp the tension of the jockeys in a big race.

Agreed the bad leg injury to Drumcovis was clear in the immedate replay. Maybe it wasn't clear when he was on the ground, or maybe as above, he leaped to his feet when the others passed - you can see him suddenly stuggling to get up. Sad day, and esp sad for Harry S and Bob B that their parade was rained on somewhat by these losses
 
Any confirmation on what exactly happened to Wichita? I don't mean to be grisly, but I'd like to know if it was a freak accident (i.e. him being caught by another horse) rather than an injury caused by his actual fall.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Any confirmation on what exactly happened to Wichita? I don't mean to be grisly, but I'd like to know if it was a freak accident (i.e. him being caught by another horse) rather than an injury caused by his actual fall.
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Looked like he had a heart attack before the fence to me, he kind of stumbled into it .
 
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I don't think that happened Sheikh. He got bustled into the fence a bit, didn't jump it well and down he went, as he got up the horse behind hit him around the neck/head area and he went back down within an instant.
 
Diminuendo said:
Unfortunately the Irish National is always a race that seems to catch out some really decent horses. Remember Alexander Taipans horrid and fatal fall. I also remember the fateful day some years ago when the Irish National claimed the life of the brilliant Rushing Wild, there have been many others along the way. Now I have never been to Fairyhouse, but can any of the Irish contributors tell me if the fences there are better packed compared to the other tracks?
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agree, always have mixed feeling about the race; and am with Gal as well.
 
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and no, would not say it was a heart attack at all, as Dim said, he did not jump well at all; watched the race again a couple of times, and had the feeling damage was done to his left hind leg. he was hit by at least on other horse and did spin round through that impact, but could not make out whether he was hit in head. horrible incident to watch, and a very sad day for racing.
 
Diminuendo said:
I don't think that happened Sheikh. He got bustled into the fence a bit, didn't jump it well and down he went, as he got up the horse behind hit him around the neck/head area and he went back down within an instant.
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Fair enough, was watching through a severe hangover :blink:
 
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