Starchitect struck down with race at his mercy
Racing’s propensity to provide an emotional roller coaster was never better demonstrated than on this winter’s afternoon at Cheltenham. The victory of My Tent Or Yours in a thrilling Unibet International Hurdle provided a happy ending to the day but the outcome of the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup was wholly different.
In a stride, what should have been the highlight of David Pipe’s season so far – watching Starchitect stroll to a well-deserved big race win – morphed into a nightmare when the six-year-old, who was just beginning to gallop clear of the field going to the second last, lost his footing behind and broke a hind leg with fatal consequences.
The race went to the Nicky Richard strained Guitar Pete, a rare enough big winner in the south for the North, and by some margin the biggest victory in Cumbrian conditional jockey Ryan Day’s career but, through no fault of Guitar Pete’s, it was one of the most hollow victories you will ever see here, and he returned to stony silence.
There is nothing worse for a yard than being given back an empty bridle and, in a perverse way, it seems so much worse with a big race at its mercy.
“He’d never felt better,” said Starchitect’s clearly upset jockey, Tom Scudamore. “I’m sad for everyone but the horse particularly. He’s been knocking on the door so many times. Today was going to be his day, but it wasn’t to be.”
The spirit needed lifting after that metaphorical punch in the stomach and it was provided by My Tent Or Yours, a runner-up in three of the past four Champion Hurdles but without a win over jumps since the Christmas Hurdle in 2013.
He jumped the last upsides The New One, three times a winner of the International, and young pretender Melon and, getting 6lb for not having won a race for so long, battled up the hill to win by a length and a quarter from his old foe.
Trainer Nicky Henderson was mistyeyed with joy, only just stopping short of comparing it to Sprinter Sacre’s comeback in the Shloer Chase. “When you’ve come back from that many battles,” he said, “and he’s had a few. Wasn’t he brave? There were three in a line at the last – what a great horse race.”
He added: “He was just beaten in three Champions by better horses. He missed one, came back, was second first time out after 18 months off in a Champion, then I felt like a fiend last season when we beat him with our own horse, Buveur D’Air. He’s special. We’ve had him since he was three and you get quite attached. It’s emotional, and you know me.”
If there was a Cheltenham Festival winner on view yesterday it might well be Henderson’s other winner, Apple’s Shakira, the sister of Apple’s Jade. With no cover in a four-horse race she was a bit keen but she looked very smart striding up the hill from the last, winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial with her head in her chest.