Racing Heartbreaks

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Double J

At the Start
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Anyone cried or had a severe lump in their throat after a race or to do with a horse?

I ask because I recently watched the 1973 Grand National where Crisp was beaten on the line, and despite knowing the result and it being 45 years ago I still had a lump.

The other time would probably be when Many Clouds died after the race, or when Sprinter came round Un De Sceaux in the 2016 Champion Chase. Don't think Ive ever fully cried but certainly was emotional.

Got me wondering, anyone had similar experiences? Or am I just being a pansy.
 
Loads! Still cry when watch Red Rum winning in '77 no matter how many times they show it.
When Persian Punch died, I was there that day , it was awful.
A young horse called D'Nurse collapsed and died at Windsor after the line, I had watched multiple members of her family over a few years.
When my mare won. Watching it back still makes me cry, and her son won his first hurdle race last Friday at second attempt: I was crying before he got to the last hurdle. :(
 
Kauto and the 2011 Betfair Chase. I was in the house alone and desperately wanted to share the moment with anyone, but I definitely welled up. And Sprinter in 2016, for sure.
 
Double J, if I ever re-watch Crisp's National I'll only watch it until he jumps the last. (And up to that point what a majestic display of jumping he'd treated us to).

Went to York to see Grundy after his KG. It broke my heart to see how much that Ascot race had taken out of him.
 
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Given that I can cry at an episode of Tom & Jerry, I'm hopeless when it comes to real animals.

Curiously enough, though, not so much with racehorses. Not because they're different or anything like that, but more because I'm focused on the result or how the race worked out.

Crisp was hard to take but I had more money on him than I really should have as I thought he was a stone cold bonking certainty that day. It was gutting to witness that finish but there would have been other horses at that meeting that didn't walk away.
 
It was amazing how Red Rum went from the villain of the piece to the nation's favourite horse within four years. You still can't believe that Crisp can be beaten from two out; but Red Rum actually gets a great ride from Fletcher.
 
I think it only took a year to forgive Red Rum. His second win cemented his position as a racing god.

It does still amaze me to think that Crisp didn't win but I'm sure Fletcher once said it wasn't really a great ride, it was more a case that the horse was going as fast as he could get him to go and it was more a question of Crisp finally weakening.

I probably get more affected by Neptune Collonges's win now. I was on Sunnyhill Boy and still find it hard to believe that NC got the verdict.

Start watching from 8m 30s and imagine you have a very large bet on Sunnyhill Boy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwabxLabssI
 
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Starchitect was one of the toughest things I've ever seen in a horserace and that's only in small part because, having backed him every time he'd run, I remember thinking "finally I've been repaid"

Was heartbreaking seeing him break down like that.

On a more cheery note, Desert Orchid's Gold Cup and Victor Chandler both bring a lump to my throat.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I think it only took a year to forgive Red Rum. His second win cemented his position as a racing god.

It does still amaze me to think that Crisp didn't win but I'm sure Fletcher once said it wasn't really a great ride, it was more a case that the horse was going as fast as he could get him to go and it was more a question of Crisp finally weakening.

I probably get more affected by Neptune Collonges's win now. I was on Sunnyhill Boy and still find it hard to believe that NC got the verdict.

Start watching from 8m 30s and imagine you have a very large bet on Sunnyhill Boy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwabxLabssI
Click to expand...

I was also on Sunnyhill Boy. Not because I fancied it, I was just getting into racing. The name reminded me of my Grandads favourite horse growing up, Sunny Bay. Watching that video then confirmed my first thoughts, jockey at fault. A truly horrendous ride up the run in.

In terms of Crisp, it was 20 years before I was born, but ending watching it on YouTube somehow. Peter O' Sullivan's commentary is what does it for me. Also had no idea he was giving Red Rum 23 pounds. A. Heroic performance. Red Rum on 10st 5 looking back is absolutely chucked in.
 
Yes. But I thought Crisp was chucked in too!

Considering Red Rum came back and defied top weight the next year emphasises the enormity of what Crisp was trying to do yet he was miles clear of everything else. Consider too that in his two subsequent defeats Red Rum was trying to give weight to a Gold Cup winner (L'Escargot).
 
Nichols Canyon injury at Leopardstown affected me the worst of all the many i have seen.

Danoli's Irish Gold Cup win 1997 along with Florida Pearl's win at 12 in the same race among the many wow moments I have witnessed.

Annie Power's last flight fall was one of the most surreal moments ever for me; the Cotswolds went from boisterous to silent in seconds: never have I witnessed time standing still before or since. Had Martians landed it would not have had the same effect.
 
tiggers1972 said:
Of the sadder variety Simonsig collapsing quite close to where I was stood was horrible to see.
Click to expand...
We must have been pretty close together, dreadful viewing. Absolutely awful to see Nicky and the stable lass in tears walking out to see the poot fella.
 
Many Clouds for me. Had rushed up to the walkway to cheer him into the paddock and he just didn’t appear. Wife in floods and I must have had some dust in my eyes too when we heard the sad news


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A lot of the ones already mentioned hit the spot I think I'd certainly share the betting heartbreak of Sunnyhill boy but I think we're talking more about those special moments in sport.

Moscow flyers tingle creek made my spine tingle.

But probably one that hasn't gotten a mention that I found really emotional was Hardy Eustaces Champion Hurdles. The first one especially as completely unfancied and with what had happened to young Kieran Kelly the year previous, with winning his first festival race on Hardy to being critically injured just a few months later for me nothing typifies the ups and the downs of this game like that. I suppose it's also ties in with the magic and the stories of the festival each year. Horses that spring back to life in that incredible atmosphere and remind us just how wonderful the champions of our sport can be.

When Hardy went back and did what he did not once but twice I just raised a glass and said rest in peace lad.
 
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Emotionally for me it has to be Dawn Runs Gold Cup , Financially without doubt it was Annie Power falling at the last, feck I am away to get the tissues again when I think how much that cost me
 
I had a great soft spot for George Washington, as did his trainer.

I remember Eddie and me watching on at the Curragh the day he ran in the Railway Stakes and he refused to go through the arch between the pre-parade ring and the parade ring proper. Aidan and his staff tried everything bar naked coercion to persuade him but he just wouldn't. George's view of the situation was allowed to prevail and they had to take him out onto the track and bring him into the parade ring from there. Afterwards he refused to leave the winners enclosure, but in the race itself he was outstanding. He did something similar at Newmarket after winning the 2000 Gns.

It was terrible to see George break down in that Breeders Cup race, he was a brilliant racehorse with a personality to boot. Aidan was clearly very fond of him. His view was there was no point getting into an argument with George as long as he was doing it on the track, which he most certainly did.
 
Forgot to include the day Tied Cottage lost the 1980 Gold Cup on contaminated feed grounds.
Bad enough that he had fallen the year before at the last, only to blitz the field the following year.
That both owner and trainer were dead within months made it all the worse.
Then to see him for the next three years line up for 2 Gold Cups and Foxhunters, ears pricked , trained to the minute , knowing every blade of grass on the chase track and running his heart out (even when loose in 1981) reminds me of the Duracell Bunny.
Quel cheval !!
 
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