A tragic death and why jockeys fear the worst one month before Cheltenham Festival

A TRAGIC death has jockeys fearing the worst just one month before Cheltenham Festival.

While the debate rages over new whip rules, an issue you might have missed has already been blamed for one fatality.

GettyAP McCoy said changing the markings to white from orange was ‘a load of rubbish’ – and jockey O’Keeffe said it contributed to his horse’s fatal fall[/caption]

GettyHorses and jockeys have had to get used to the new white markings[/caption]

It all comes down to the white paint which has been used to replace the traditional orange on fence and hurdle markings in British racing.

Research shows blue, yellow and white were better for horses – with white ultimately chosen as the standard colour.

Jockey Darragh O’Keeffe voiced his concerns over the change after the death of Hemlock at Musselburgh earlier this month.

The horse was sent off 2-1 fav for the Scottish Stayers’ Novices’ Hurdle but crashed out at the third-final flight.

That sadly proved fatal and O’Keeffe said the horse, who usually jumped well, was totally thrown off by the new colour.

He told the Racing Post: “It’s a completely different ball game. You might think it’s nothing – sure it’s only a bit of white paint – but it makes a huge difference to some horses.

“Hemlock was as good a jumper as you would ever get, but when he got over to Musselburgh he jumped every single hurdle differently.

“I would give him a squeeze and he’d put in an extra stride.

“Then, when you wouldn’t ask him anything, he would come up.

“He wasn’t assured at all and was not the same Hemlock.

“I know any horse can fall, but throughout the race he wasn’t sure what to do at any hurdle.

“It was very unlike him and I couldn’t get him into any sort of a rhythm.”

Mullins was ridiculed for suggesting the white paint led to Champion Chase hero Energumene’s poor jumping in his third-place at last month’s Clarence House Chase.

You would be forgiven for thinking it sounded like one of Jurgen Klopp’s excuses – he memorably blamed the grass and wind for two disappointing results.

But no one knows horses better than Mullins, so his words carry weight.

The Closutton genius, who has more Festival winners than anyone, said: “It was Energumene’s first time going to England and jumping the new white fences, even though he had jumped them at home, and he just baulked at the first.

“It was definitely a useful exercise for us and I’d say it’s something a lot of Irish horses are going to have to prepare for, because if you miss the first at Cheltenham your race could be gone.”

AP McCoy is another who thinks bringing in such a significant change so close to the biggest week of the year is an error.

He said changing the colours was ‘a load of rubbish’.

The Irish have dominated the Festival in recent years.

But there is no denying the horses of Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Co will have one more thing to overcome when taking on the Brits in their own backyard.

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