A harrowing time for Lady
Cecil, which was briefly lifted by Riposte's Ribblesdale Stakes win earlier
this week, was dealt another blow today.
Thomas Chippendale, a
four-year-old she trains for Sir Robert Ogden, proved a gutsy winner of the
Group Two Hardwicke Stakes, but collapsed soon after crossing the line in the
mile-and-a-half contest and died of a suspected heart attack.
Lady Cecil, whose husband,
Sir Henry, died on June 11 at the age of 70 following a long encounter with
cancer, was visibly shaken and near to tears when she said: "Leading up to
the race he was in such good form and really enjoying himself. When Luis
[Villarroel, his groom] took him out for a pick of grass he was always the last
one who wanted to come back in.
"He was doing what he
enjoyed and loved doing and so it's heartbreaking.
"We couldn't have
been happier with him beforehand and he could not have won like that if he had
not been a happy, sound horse. We're devastated for Luis and very sad for Sir
Robert who was looking forward to this day so much.
"We didn't realise
the horse had collapsed, so we came from the grandstand into the winner's
enclosure feeling so happy and couldn't understand why it was rather quiet. We
didn't know what had happened, but they say it was very quick and the horse did
not suffer.
"It's so awful to go
from one emotion to another, from a high to a low. It puts such a dampener on
the day. My heart is pounding, but we have to carry on."
Asked about her decision
to come racing this week following her husband's death, Lady Cecil said:
"I've had to keep going for Team Cecil and for Henry."
HEARTBREAK
FOR MURTAGH AFTER HARDWICKE
There was a dramatic end
to the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot this afternoon after the 8/1 winner
Thomas Chippendale collapsed and died shortly after winning.
Lady Cecil's runner took
up the running halfway up the straight and battled all the way to the line,
repelling the challenge of runner-up Dandino by a length.
The son of Dansili was
recording his second victory at the Royal Meeting having won the King Edward
VII Stakes last year but there was a sad postscript to the race as Sir Robert
Ogden's four-year-old suffered a heart-attack several yards after the line as
jockey Johnny Murtagh was easing him down.
"Thomas Chippendale
did a great job and put everything into it," said Murtagh.
"I felt him do a
little shimmy when I was just pulling him up after the line and when I jumped
off of him he lost his balance. I don't know what happened, he just collapsed
behind me.
"I got a lovely run
and my horse has won well but I'm devastated at the way it's finished.
"It is heartbreaking
for everybody involved because it was a great win."
Thomas Chippendale's
groom, Luis Villarroel, was in tears after the race but was subsequently
interviewed by Clare Balding on Channel 4.
"He was such a
wonderful horse," said Villarroel.
"He was always doing
his work at home, never complaining about everything and he would do everything
perfectly. It seemed that he had been improving over the last couple of races
and he was so happy at home. It's incredible that this has happened - it's
quite hard.
"It has been so
emotional for us with Riposte winning the Ribblesdale the other day. Today was
a brilliant finish with this kind of race and then this happened. It's very
hard for us and the whole team but we are still strong and we are going to keep
working.
"These things happen
in the sport but we have to carry on, keep fighting and do our best. That's
what we are here for."
Officials at Ascot
Racecourse offered their sincere condolences to the connections of Thomas
Chippendale after the incident.
There had also been drama
shortly after the beginning of the race as leader Ektihaam, ridden by Paul
Hanagan, appeared to slip coming round the bend.
The colt unshipped
Hanagan as he came down and the jockey has been stood down for the rest of the
day, having been taken to hospital as a precaution.
"It appears that
Ektihaam slipped on the bend so we are now slitting it and then we will sand it
(the ground) before the next race on the round course," said Ascot's clerk
of the course Chris Stickels.
DANDINO
AIMED AT MELBOURNE
Dandino remains on course
for the Melbourne Cup after finishing runner-up in the Group Two Hardwicke
Stakes.
"It was a good run
and he was hampered when the jockey (Paul Hanagan) fell. He then hit a flat
spot before staying on," said trainer Marco Botti. "The Melbourne Cup
will be the plan and we'll keep him fresh over the summer and then head for the
Caulfield Cup before Melbourne. I can't see why he won't stay the Melbourne Cup
trip."
Third-placed Universal is
unlikely to make the trip to Melbourne. His trainer Mark Johnston commented:
"It was a very messy race in every way, even before the fall. He's much
better gradually winding up from two out rather than a messy contest like that.
"There are a lot of
options for him and, although I have not talked to the owners about Melbourne,
I think we'll be sticking to the northern hemisphere.
"He is in the King
George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which would be tempting, and we could
think about the Canadian International and Japan Cup. Then he could go over a
mile and six in the Irish St Leger, I think he's at least as good over that
trip."
3.05pm
Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
£213,300
total prize fund. For 4yo+, 1m 4f. Weights: colts and geldings 9st; fillies 8st
11lb. Penalty value 1st £120,962.43 2nd £45,859.50 3rd £22,951.08 4th
£11,432.88 5th £5,737.77 6th £2,879.55.
1. THOMAS
CHIPPENDALE (IRE) (Sir Robert Ogden) Lady Cecil 4-9-00 Johnny Murtagh [8] 8/1
2.
DANDINO (Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock) Marco Botti 6-9-00 Frankie Dettori
[9] 10/1
3.
UNIVERSAL (IRE) (Abdulla Al Mansoori) Mark Johnston 4-9-00 Joe Fanning [2] 10/1
4. NOBLE
MISSION (Khalid Abdullah) Lady Cecil 4-9-00 Tom Queally [1]
5. MOUNT
ATHOS (IRE) (Dr Marwan Koukash) Luca Cumani 6-9-00 Jamie Spencer [5]
6.
SONGCRAFT (IRE) (Godolphin) Saeed bin Suroor 5-9-00 Silvestre de Sousa [7]
7. SIR
JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) (Ballymacoll Stud) Sir Michael Stoute 4-9-00 Ryan Moore [6]
UR.
EKTIHAAM (IRE) (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Roger Varian 4-9-00 Paul Hanagan [4] 9/4 Fav
8 ran
Non-runner: Aiken (Going)
Time 2m
30.65s Distances: 1, 2½, sh, hd, 1¾, 10
Breeder:
Premier Bloodstock Breeding: 4 br c Dansili - All My Loving (IRE) (Sadler's
Wells (USA))
Tote Win
£9.90 Place £2.50, £2, £2.30 Exacta £91.50
Winning
trainer:-Name:Lady Jane Cecil Background: Married legendary trainer Sir
Henry Cecil in 2008 and took over a temporary licence at Warren Place upon his
death on June 11, 2013. First runner: Phaenomena, Newbury, June 13. First
winner: Morpheus, Nottingham, June 13. Royal Ascot Wins (2): Ribblesdale
Stakes (2013 Riposte), Hardwicke Stakes (2013 Thomas Chippendale) Wins in
2013: 7
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