Triumph, tears and tragedy in Sky Bet Chase as Windsor Avenue win marred by Midnight Shadow’s freakish injury

As connections of Brian Ellison’s Windsor Avenue celebrated an improbable win, Sue and Harvey Smith’s team yards away were already bereft over the heartbreaking loss of the talismanic Midnight Shadow.

Trainer Brian Ellison fancies Windsor Avenue’s Grand National chances

For them, and Midnight Shadow’s owners Cyril and Aafke Clarke, the Doncaster unsaddling enclosure was the loneliest place in racing as they hoped against hope before their worst fears were confirmed with a sombre ienvitability.

Minutes earlier, there had been quiet optimism as their Paddy Power Gold Cup hero and three-time Cheltenham winner lined up on Town Moor for Doncaster’s feature jumps race of the calendar.

Ryan Mania, Midnight Shadow and the unsung stable lad Reece Jarosiewicz priming Sue Smith’s horse for Cheltenham glory

Hopes and plans for future Grade One races were still alive as Sean Quinlan set the early pace on Windsor Avenue who is owned by Phil and Julie Martin who enjoyed such success with the now retired Definitly Red.

Meanwhile Midnight Shadow, a gentle giant, appeared to be handling the blustery conditions better than most under Ryan Mania as the field passed the stands on the first circuit.

Midnight Shadow and Ryan Mania earn high praise for Paddy Power Gold Cup win from victorious trainer Sue Smith

But the nine-year-old appeared to suffer a freakish-looking pelvic injury taking off at the next fence – the water jump and ironically smallest on the circuit – and was dismounted instantaneously by his jockey on landing.

And then the tears and memories of Midnight Shadow who had become a standard bearer for the Smiths, as well as Yorkshire and Northern racing, because of the way that he had progressed, and been nurtured, at their Grand National-winning stables on Baildon Moor, most notably by Barnsley-born stable lad Reece Jarosiewicz.

He later posted this emotional tribute: “You meant more to me than you ever would have know. Sleep tight champ.”

The stable later tweeted: “A legend in his own right and a stable superstar. Give your horses an extra cuddle tonight because you never know. Rest easy Midnight.”

Yet it was perhaps fitting, even ironic, that Doncaster’s finale should be won by the Smith’s and Mania with Prairie Wolf – a bumper horse of considerable promise at this early stage of his career.

As Harvey Smith said with ssuch toicism, the challenge is finding the next champion – the next Midnight Shadow – and acknowledging that a race historically known as the Great Yorkshire Chase had been won by a local horse, and stable, also worthy of recognition.

After all, this was Windsor Avenue’s first victory for over two years and the aforementioned Quinlan was winning the Sky Bet on a 40-1 chance for a second consecutive year after the win of Takingrisks in lockdown.

Prominent throughout, he was then overtaking by the Kerry Lee-trained Storm Control in the home straight who appeared to have the race at his mercy before idling under young Daire McConville.

However few riders in the country are riding with more confidence than Quinlan and Windsor Avenue soon rallied and regained the lead to score by three and a quarter lengths. Cap Du Nord was third for the second year running.

“He worked great in the blinkers in the week and I said to Sean, ‘just make sure you get him out’ - I didn’t want him around horses,” said Malton-based Ellison who confirmed Windsor Avenue will feature n this week’s randox Grand National entries.

“His jumping was very slick and Sean said he almost ran away with him for two miles. He’s class, I’ve always said it. We’ve put him in the National, he couldn’t run with the choke out in that mind, so we’ll just have to see.”

For Quinlan, securing a double on the day having landed the Grade Two Mares’ Hurdle on Lucy Wadham’s Miss Heritage, it was a huge thrill.

“Brian said he’d put the blinkers on the other morning and they’d lit him up,” said Quinlan. “The plan was to get a good start and get him on the front end and the blinkers made him jump today.

“I was trying to fill him up down the back and turning in I thought I’d win easy, but then Kerry Lee’s horse came to me when my lad had a blow and he got away.

“When we got our second wind he’s winged the last and gone away and won well. The further he went the more impressive he was.”

“I’ve been lucky in this race, it’s been a great race for me. The way this lad jumped today you wouldn’t be afraid of the National, before he never used to attack his fences.”

They’re prophetic words. For while Quinlan had luck on his side, and has always credited the Smiths for helping revive his career, his mentors were going home to an empty box on a difficult day of mixed emotions for Yorkshire jump racing.

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