Victorious farewell for classy Thornton

ANDREW THORNTON enjoyed the perfect send-off to his riding career with a winner at Uttoxeter.

The 45-year-old announced on Monday he would hang up his riding boots following four rides at the Midlands track, with longtime supporter Seamus Mullins supplying three mounts while Caroline Bailey provided the fourth.

Out of luck on his first ride, Thornton made no mistake on the Mullins-trained Amirr in the Abacus Decorators “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle, travelling well throughout and looking the likely winner with three to jump.

Thornton – who can count the Gold Cup, Welsh National, King George VI Chase and Hennessy Gold Cup among over 1,000 winning rides – was given a rapturous welcome on his return to the winner’s enclosure and sprayed with champagne by his fellow jockeys.

He said: “It couldn’t have worked out any better. It’s a special day. The lads are all here, Dave Roberts (agent) is here and my parents are here, my little boy Harry and Yvonne (wife).

“I didn’t have a look round as I thought Jerry McGrath (Lyndsays Lad) could be on my tail and if I looked round that could cost me. I just put my head down and waited until we crossed the line.”

Denman, the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, died on Tuesday at the age of 18.

Trainer Paul Nicholls said the brilliant chaser “had begun to go downhill in the past few days”, and was “put to sleep painlessly”.

Denman won 14 races from 24 starts, most famously beating Kauto Star at Cheltenham.