Amateur jockey banned after forcing horse with ‘no more to give’ to finish race
An amateur jockey has been banned for 12 days after persisting to the finish with a horse that had “no more to give”.
Charlie Marshall was riding Go On Chez at Fakenham on Friday when the horse looked tired ahead of the final fence, but rather than pull up, the jockey chose to continue and eventually won the race.
One of four starters in the Pointing Pointers Queen’s Cup ‘Grassroots’ Open Hunters’ Chase, Marshall’s mount Go On Chez was left to finish alone after one rival fell, one unseated its rider and another pulled up.
Go On Chez approached the final fence at little more than a trot and tried to pull himself up as he veered right, but Marshall opted to jump the obstacle with the 7-2 chance clambering over before continuing on to the line in his own time.
The stewards held an inquiry to consider whether Marshall had “continued in the race when the horse appeared to have no more to give after barely being able to negotiate the final fence”.
Both the rider and veterinary officer were interviewed, with recordings of the incident also viewed, and the stewards elected to impose a 12-day ban on Marshall.
Envoi Allen dies after last race before retirement
Envoi Allen, a three-time Cheltenham winner, has died after what was supposed to be his last Gold Cup before retirement.
The 12-year-old, a 10-time Grade One winner, collapsed moments after the showpiece race of the Festival. Envoi Allen had been on his way back to the stables when he fell to the ground. Vets surrounded him with green screens and pronounced him dead soon after.
“Following the conclusion of the race, Envoi Allen collapsed and sadly died,” explained British Horseracing Authority director of equine regulation safety and welfare James Given. “Such an episode is known as exercise-associated sudden death and can occur in horses of all breeds when under exercise. In racing it is rare, occurring in only nine in every 10,000 runs in jump races.
“British racing is involved in pioneering research, including the use of wearable technology, to help better understand the causes of this and how it can be avoided.”
The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding, ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, was preparing to bow out of competition to retire, with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his eighth appearance in all at the Festival.
Envoi Allen started out with Gordon Elliott before moving to De Bromhead, who said in advance of the race that he was “so well at home that they had to let him run this afternoon”.
At 12, he was old to be competing in the Gold Cup, although the average lifespan of domesticated horses can reach between 25 and 30 years.
Career highlights include winning the Champion Bumper, Turners Novices’ Chase and Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. He was welcomed to De Bromhead’s yard in 2021 and had Rachael Blackmore as his jockey for a spell.
Last November, he claimed a record third Down Royal Champion Chase, adding to his triumphs in 2022 and 2024. In the race itself, there had been no obvious signs he was ill.
Gaelic Warrior took victory as the sole runner for Willie Mullins. Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs took up the running for Wales, but faded turning for home, while Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man travelled well for a long way and might have had his owner dreaming before he too faded.
There was a second death on the last day of the Festival when Saint Le Fort suffered a fatal fall in the closing event, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
The Philip Fenton-trained runner came down at the final flight, adding to the fatal fall of HMS Seahorse in Wednesday’s BetMGM Cup and the injury sustained by Hansard when running in Tuesday’s Arkle, bringing the total deaths during the Festival to four.
Given added: “We are all devastated about the fatal injuries this week and our thoughts are with everyone connected with the horses.
“The fatal injury rate has reduced to fewer than five in every 1,000 runners. The fatality rate at Cheltenham Racecourse in the past five years is exactly in line with this.
“However, we never just accept these injury rates. As with any fatal injury, these incidents will now be looked at in detail through our fatality review process, which is part of the sport’s commitment to ongoing improvements in racehorse safety.”
