Confusion reigned, says Power
Not ideal for him, obviously, but it was at least a viewpoint that offered the jockey a first-class view of the confusion which engulfed the leading pair as they approached, and ultimately swerved, the last fence in the two-mile chase. It was an ending in keeping with what had been a race full of incident.
Kauto Stone and Ruby Walsh crashed out at the first and the last obstacle was dolled off after Wishfull Thinking pulled left and sent Richard Johnson clattering into both rails and spectators on the first circuit.
With Johnson lying injured and a circuit still to go, officials made the decision to omit the fence second time around but, with the sun shining in their eyes, it took the leading pair some time to spot an official waving the chequered flag and adapt accordingly.
“We were used to years ago over the Grand National fences, before the bypass, they’d put up arrows and you’d jump the outside of the fence,” said Power. “Twas the only way round. Or vice versa, they’d put them on the outside and you’d jump the inside but on a park track I’ve never seen that happen.
“I’d made up my mind I was going to go round when I saw the flag. The confusion was the lads in front weren’t sure whether to jump the outside of the fence or go round it. I’d made my mind up that I was going to go round because I’d never seen that happen on a park track before.”
Power also felt that the chequered flag should have been stationed further out into the centre of the track and added that there should also have been four or five arrows positioned the entire length of the fence.
“They were in a battle so they had to make a split decision. It’s very hard from a jockey’s point of view. When you’re at racing speed and something like that happens on a track, you should be left in no doubt as to where to go.”
“It wasn’t Cheltenham’s finest hour,” he added but the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) issued a statement yesterday evening stating that the correct procedures had been followed and that they allowed Johnson receive the “optimum medical protection”. The fence was directed to be bypassed by Simon Claisse, the Clerk of the Course, and once this direction was given the direction markers were placed on the fence,” said James Stier, Director of Raceday operations and Regulation for the BHA.
Stier also noted that the hazard warning flag had been deployed correctly and added that the same official was blowing a whistle to alert the oncoming jockeys – procedures which are in place across all jump courses in Britain.
“With the exception of the Grand National course,” he continued, “the decision was taken when bypassing procedures were introduced that parts of the fences were no longer to be jumped.”
Geraghty wasn’t aware of the fence being dolled off until Andrew Lynch and Sizing Europe began to swerve right halfway between the last two jumps and admitted that if his challenger had gone over it he would have too.
Sizing Europe’s trainer, Henry De Bromhead, acknowledged the role the late drama played in the finish but began his post-mortem immediately afterwards by stating that his charge had lost to a better horse on the day.
“Andrew tried to hug the rails all the way and he didn’t know he was going to have to miss the last. He just said ‘the last cost me the race’,’’ he added. “It may have made a difference. I just don’t know. These things happen.
“Andrew didn’t hear the commentator say they would be going around the last. He was pretty gutted when he came in. A horse needs something to aim at. He was in front from the second fence and it was a long run in without the last to jump. He lost momentum, definitely.”
