Boodles Chester Vase |
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| Group 3, Chester 15:40 £140,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 4f 63y, Class 1  |
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1 Hidden Law 9/4
2 Agenda 3/1
3 Grosvenor Square 7/4F
6 ran Distances: 3l, 7½l, 5l
Time: 2m 38.89s (slow by 2.69s)
Thoughts are with connections of Hidden Law who suffered a serious injury after crossing the line in the Chester Vase 💔 pic.twitter.com/7NkiHUOyH3
— irishracing.com (@irishracing) May 8, 2024
Derby contender Hidden Law suffered a tragic fate moments after winning the Chester Vase.
The son of Dubawi had secured an impressive victory in the Group 3 contest, crossing the line three lengths ahead of the competition.
However, as he approached the road crossing after the finish, Hidden Law appeared to break down and was immediately dismounted by jockey William Buick.
Charlie Appleby, the trainer, confirmed that Hidden Law fractured his leg during this unfortunate incident. The Godolphin-owned colt’s promising career was cut short, leaving racing enthusiasts and the team devastated. It’s a stark reminder of the risks these magnificent animals face on the track, even after moments of triumph. Our thoughts go out to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin during this difficult time
Appleby said: “He fractured his leg, unfortunately. He passed the line all okay and then when he’s crossed the road, he’s took a false step on it and he’s come down on it basically.
“It’s one of those very freak accidents. Unfortunately, we can only go on what we’ve seen and won’t see again for the future, it’s very disappointing.
“Most importantly, I feel so sorry for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin. To have a horse like him potentially coming through the ranks was exciting for everybody. It’s a sad day.
“I have to thank everybody here at the course, they’ve been very accommodating and were very speedy in what they’ve done. I feel sorry for Wayne, the groom, and all the staff back at Moulton Paddocks, who have done so much work with this horse.
“Will got up fine, which is the most important thing. He’s a bit shook from it because it’s not a nice thing to happen.”
Connections of runner-up Agenda, partnered by Tom Marquand due to travel problems preventing Dylan Browne McMonagle from taking the ride, and third-placed stablemate Grosvenor Square were quick to offer their sympathies.
Coolmore representative Paul Smith said: “It’s a tough day after what happened to the winner. I was standing next to Charlie just before the race and we were talking about our horses in it and it’s tough because you feel for their team. We’re competitors, but we travel together and we need each other.”
He added: “Tom was very happy with his horse, he galloped to the line well. I think both of ours are going to make nice middle-distance horses going forward.”
Chester chief executive Louise Stewart commented on Hidden Law’s sad death: “Our thoughts and minds are with the connections of the horse affected. It’s not what we want to happen.
“Just to reiterate, these are elite athletes and unfortunately this sometimes happens in our sport. None of us like it and we’re constantly working to try and eradicate it.
“We’ll look at what happened here and I’d like to thank the trainers for their support.”
Boodles Chester Vase (Group 3)
£140,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 4f 63y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2) Hidden Law 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 9/4
2 (3) 3 Agenda 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Tom Marquand 3/1
3 (1) 7½ Grosvenor Square 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 7/4F
4 (6) 5 Golden West 3 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 33/1
5 (5) 1½ Cadogan Place 3 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 8/1
6 (4) shd Pappano 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Kieran Shoemark 25/1
