The anticipated farewell for champion jumper Stern Idol did not go according to script, as the horse finished outside the top three in its final race.
Stern Idol, the commanding $1.90 favourite, finished fourth under jockey Will Gordon, trailing the winner by 12 lengths in the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday.
Attempting to secure a fourth consecutive win in the race named after a prominent Australian steeplechaser, Stern Idol was not at its previous best on Sunday and made several jumping errors.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, described it as a disappointing end to a remarkable career but stressed that Stern Idol completed the race safely.
“Will said he didn’t feel like he was at his best and clearly, he wasn’t,” Turnbull said.
“He didn’t travel as strong and as bold as he normally does and made a few errors down the back.
“There were a few nervous moments late, but thankfully he came back to the yard standing and he pulled up pretty well.
“It’s sad to see him go, but he made it around safe, which is what counts.”
Racegoers present gave Stern Idol a round of applause as the field passed the finishing line for the first time, with another cheer when the horse returned to the mounting yard.
“There were 20 Ballarat staff that came down, there was Cranbourne staff, Fingal staff, they have all made the effort to come out here which is great,” Turnbull remarked.
“It’s more than the sport, it’s more about the horse.
“It’s hard to draw comparisons with a flat horse, but he is the best jumper, so to see him finish, and know he’s finishing up, that’s the strangest part.”
The Patrick Payne-trained Sing For Peace ($3.20) took out the race, winning by a nose from Mr Lincoln ($18), with Hit The Road Jack ($5) finishing third, two lengths adrift.
Neil Greaves, representing the Payne stable, suggested that jumps racing itself was the ultimate winner.
“It’s a perfect time to salute the great Stern Idol,” Greaves commented.
“He didn’t win today, but he’s been a great jumper over the last four years.
“The scene is changing and we’re lucky enough to have some of the better ones at the moment.”
The Payne stable also had success earlier in the day, winning the opening race with Split.
However, jockey Tom Ryan was the star of the day across the three jumps races at Sandown, clinching a feature race double after winning the Grand National Hurdle on Andy Win.
Ryan guided Sing For Peace to victory in the Australian Steeplechase and admitted he thought the gelding had thrown the race away with a poor jump around 1200 metres from the finish.
“He made a really bad mistake, and I don’t know how he stood up, to be honest,” Ryan said.
“But he made a really good jump at the last and it was do or die and he battled on all the way to the line.
“I didn’t think I had held on, but luckily, we did.”
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