Thistlecrack jockey devastated after injury rules out favourite

Tom Scudamore's Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup dream was dramatically dashed on Tuesday as Thistlecrack was ruled out the festival, a blow the rider described as a "real sickener".

Just 57 days after the pair put in a breathtaking round of jumping in the King George - an experience which the rider described as the best of his career - Scudamore, and racing as a whole, was faced with the stark reality that Cheltenham and the other spring festivals will not be graced by Britain's leading chaser.

Scudamore said: "It is a real sickener and there is not a lot more you can add. You’re hoping everyone can get there in one piece. You see it happen to everyone else and you pray it’s not going to happen to you and, unfortunately, it has."

For all that the Tizzard team and Thistlecrack's owners, John and Heather Snook, have been engagingly open with the press and public on the subject of Thistlecrack throughout his career, Scudamore has been the nine-year-old's most eloquent and energetic cheerleader.

From Thistlecrack's emergence at Aintree two seasons ago as a staying novice hurdler with huge potential, to his stature this season as the highest-rated chaser in the land, Thistlecrack has ascended the racing pyramid alongside his perennial partner Scudamore, and they looked set to start the sport's most prestigious race as hot favourites.

However, rather than dwell on his misfortune the jockey was quick to think of the other members of the Venn Farm team when learning of the tear to Thistlecrack's tendon on arrival at Wetherby on Tuesday afternoon.

"I feel sorry for everyone in the yard and, even though Joe and Colin have other runners in the race, it doesn’t make it any easier," said Scudamore.

"For John and Heather as well as those who look after him all the time, it's very disappointing for everybody. Most of all I’m disappointed for the horse because he won’t get to compete in the Gold Cup. Every time you ride these good horses you hope they can be in a position to show just how good they are. He is not going to be able to do that this year and, while hopefully he will be able to bounce back, it is a real sickener for everyone."

Thistlecrack lost his unbeaten record over fences when narrowly defeated by Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last month but the first signs of the problem only emerged on Monday evening.

"Other than the fact he got beat there was no inkling that anything was amiss," said Scudamore.

Scudamore's chief hopes of Grade 1 success at the festival now reside with Moon Racer, another novice who could attempt championship honours.

Owner John Snook was philosophical about the setback, saying: "All owners of horses have their bad luck and unfortunately we have had ours only a couple of weeks away from Cheltenham and the Gold Cup.

"We had really good fortune all last year with the horse as we had a clear run all season with the horse - but when you have livestock you have to accept that these things can happen.

"The vets have said the horse should be back next season and the good thing is it did not happen in a race, which can always make things worse."

Tom O'Keeffe, of Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons in Newmarket, explains tendon injuries and their effects.

Tendon injuries in racehorses refer to injuries to the main load-bearing tendon in the horse's forelimb. The tendon's elasticity acts as shock-absorbing and energy-storing when galloping.

Lesions typically occur in the lower leg. The repair tissue that replaces the torn fibres of a strained tendon has poorer elastic strength and capacity for repetitive loading under high strength than undamaged tendon.

Successful return to injury-free training and racing following a tendon strain/tear is determined by the extent of the overall injury as well as how closely the properties of the recovered tendon mirror those of "normal" tendon.

A mild tendon injury is classified as 0-15 per cent of the tendon volume being affected.

Tissue slow to heal

Tendon tissue is slow to heal and most horses with a significant tendon injury should not return to fast work or racing for 9-12 months following injury.

A return to fast work or racing is possible for most mild to moderate tendon injuries. Unfortunately the re-injury rate is high with approximately 50 per cent of horses completing three starts after injury.