Cheltenham Festival attendees were left heartbroken after Search For Glory, the 40/1 outsider trained by Gordon Elliott, unseated jockey James Smith at the final fence during the 3.20pm Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.
Many racing enthusiasts had high hopes for Search For Glory, believing the horse could have challenged for victory if not for the late mishap. First-place finisher JohnnyWho narrowly avoided the fallen contender and closed in to overtake the front-runner Quebecois down the stretch.
Social media platforms were flooded with comments expressing disappointment. Fans lamented the unfortunate incident, with one commenting, “Awww poor Search For Glory,” while another added, “That last fence is causing so much trouble today.” Another fan reflected, “Search For Glory was so unlucky — nearly proved me wrong at 40/1. Racing can be such a cruel sport.”
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Search For Glory was the only horse to unseat a rider in the race. However, five horses were pulled up, and Konfusion fell at the 13th fence.
In a positive turn for the connections of Search For Glory, their horse BrighterDaysAhead secured second place in the 4pm Champion Hurdle, won by the grey mare Lossiemouth. The favourite, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, maintained an unbeaten Cheltenham record, defeating BrighterDaysAhead by six-and-a-half lengths.
Mullins praised Lossiemouth’s speed and focus, crediting the addition of cheekpieces for enhancing her concentration. “It made her concentrate that bit more,” Mullins said. “As horses get older, they look for ways to avoid hard work, and this really reinvigorated her.”
He recounted discussing the decision to wear cheekpieces with Townend and how the race unfolded. Mullins noted that winning the Champion Hurdle was the mare’s greatest achievement, especially after securing four consecutive Cheltenham victories across prestigious races including Triumph and Mares’ Hurdles.
Reflecting on last year’s event, Mullins joked, “Just 12 months ago, State Man might have left her for dead. When State Man fell last year, he might have even brought her down!”