Connections reflected on a "hollow victory" after Gold Dancer suffered a fatal injury in winning the William Hill Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree.
The 100-30 joint-favourite under Paul Townend, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old engaged in a thrilling duel with Regent’s Stroll from a long way out in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.
Gold Dancer saw him off from the second fence from home and while he sprawled on landing after making a bad mistake at the last, he stayed on his feet and kept going to score by four and three-quarter lengths.
However, upon pulling up it was soon clear the winner had suffered a serious injury and while the on-course veterinary team were quick to come to his aid, he could not be saved.
"Unfortunately he broke his back and they put him down," said Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary.
"Paul said he made one mistake and he felt nothing and he kept going to the line no problem. It was just when he pulled up, unfortunately.
"It was an unbelievable performance, he jumped brilliantly bar one little mistake.
"It’s a hollow victory now, the poor horse didn’t deserve that."
The stewards held an inquiry into the riding of the winner, but took no action, and Mullins explained his stable jockey did not feel there was any problem until after the race was over.
He said: "I haven't spoken to Paul about the stewards’ inquiry. He just said to me the horse galloped through the line fine and went down to his slow pace of a canter and then just as he was turning he went into a trot and that was the first he felt anything.
"He felt the horse was fine going through the winning post, pulling up in a canter and then you have to turn the bend. He just took a pull on the rein to turn and the next thing the horse lost his action, so he’s assuming that whatever happened happened there."
When asked what his response would be to anyone who suggested Townend should have pulled up Gold Dancer following his final-fence mistake, the champion trainer added: "I would say he didn’t feel the horse had any damage and he galloped the whole way to the line.
"That is what you do when you’re a rider. It’s like a forward going for goal – if something happens he’s going to keep going and kick the ball into the net if he can.
"It’s the same with a jockey – unless they feel the horse’s action is really wrong he’s not going to stop, because if he stops he’ll lose his licence and the other punters will drag him off the horse and say 'what did you pull him up for?’.
"He didn’t feel anything was wrong until after the line and horses make mistakes. People out running trip and get up and go on and run another 10 miles and they only find out later on that night they’ve actually pulled a muscle in their back or somewhere else – it’s just life.
"We can’t legislate for everything. People go on with their daily lives and their daily sports and you do what you have to do, that’s the way I look at it anyhow.
"If Paul thought there was something wrong he’d be the first man to pull him up."
Regent’s Stroll was a clear second and his trainer Paul Nicholls said: "That was a good run. They both took each other on a little bit, but there’s a lot to look forward to with him.
"He’ll be more the finished article next year, so I’m really chuffed with that.
"He gets three miles, but he just needs his wind tinkered with in the summer as that should mean he finishes stronger."
Salver, the other joint-favourite, stayed on late for third place.
Jamie Moore, assistant to his father, Gary, and brother, Josh, said: "He maybe would have been better off on yesterday’s ground, it has just tightened up a bit overnight.
"With those in front pinging every fence it just meant we couldn’t get into it.
"There’s plenty of nice races to win with him and he might be a Coral Gold Cup type
