The connections of Cape Gentleman, one of the runners injured during the Grand National, have expressed their devastation at what happened at Aintree and that he will not be able to race again.
The seven-year-old had been bought by trainer Shark Hanlon to fulfil the ambitions of American Pierre Manigault who hoped to emulate his great uncle Stephen ‘Laddie’ Sandford who became the first US owner to win the Grand National with Sergeant Murphy 100 years ago.
Manigault and his family travelled 4,000 miles from South Carolina to be at Aintree last Saturday but Cape Gentleman was badly hampered by a faller at the first fence, then went lame and was pulled up by jockey Jody McGarvey before the 14th fence.
He suffered a tendon injury and underwent surgery at the Equine Hospital in Liverpool but has been retired from racing.
In a social media post, the Cape Gentleman team, said: “In the short six months that we’ve known him, Cape Gentleman has found his way deep into our hearts.
“Great horses have an unmistakable quality about them — a look in their eye, a personality, a presence — and this one oozes with them all.
“Above everything we are devastated about this injury for Cape Gentleman himself. And second, because it has ended what we know would have been a stellar racing career in America. We will never know what he might have achieved.”
The post went on: “We want to thank all who love this horse and have believed in him from the start: Shark, Rachel, Paddy, Sean and everyone else at John Hanlon Racing who prepared him to compete on the world’s biggest stage, and afterward ensured that he received the best possible medical attention; jockey Jody McGarvey who gave him a brilliant ride before pulling up immediately and preventing further injury, and the staff at the Equine Hospital who have taken such exceptional care of him these past few days.
“Thank you most of all, Cape Gentleman, for taking us on the ride of a lifetime. May you enjoy a long and happy retirement in endless fields of green grass and warm sunshine. Racehorses give us their all, and in return we must give them ours.”
Saturday’s race was delayed when animal rights protestors attempted to get on the racecourse.
Sadly Hill Sixteen was fatally injured and Recite A Prayer fractured an eye socket while running loose.
