Clouds dies at finish MANY TEARS
Grey day at Cheltenham with loss of star Clouds
Former Grand National winner Many Clouds died yesterday after edging out Thistlecrack in the Cotswolds Chase at Cheltenham. The 2015 Aintree hero put in one of the best performances of a shining career when hitting the front four out and responding valiantly to Leighton Aspell’s urgings to beat the
4- 9 favourite by a head. However, the large Prestbury crowd’s excitement was short lived after Oliver Sherwood’s star collapsed immediately after crossing the line.
Green screens were quickly assembled around the Trevor Hemmings-owned gelding but vets were unable to save him leaving the course in a state of stunned silence.
Sherwood said: “We’ve got to look forward and not look back.
“He’s been the horse of a lifetime and I always said he would die for you and he’s died for me and the team today doing what he does best.
“He wanted to win that race, he was beaten and then fought back in the last 50 yards to win.
“It’s sad for Trevor and my team at Rhonehurst, I’ve been in the game 32 years and horses like that don’t come along very often.
“You’ve got to enjoy it and it happens to us all, we all go one day. We’ve got to be philosophical and celebrate the Hennessy and National wins and that was almost a career- best performance. One thing I want now is for Thistlecrack to win the Gold Cup.”
Earlier, Un De Sceaux (1- 2 fav) made short work of his rivals in the Clarence House.
Willie Mullins’ star jumped boldly during the two- mile contest and quickly bui lt up a commanding advantage after Ruby Walsh kicked for home five out.
Uxizandre (12-1) tried to make a race of it on his first run for 688 days but he was always comfortably held by Un De Sceaux who eased home by five lengths.
Mullins said: “He was very good. He jumped very big and fresh late on, which shows how well he is, but then I started to wonder if he’d have enough left for the finish.
“To be able to do that after coming back to Ireland and going to England again is very impressive. As for the Festival and which race, I’ll have to chat to the owners but the Ryanair is possibly his race.”