Charlie Appleby devastated after impressive Chester Vase winner Hidden Law dies in 'freak accident' after crossing line

Triumph turned to despair for Charlie Appleby, William Buick and Godolphin as Boodles Chester Vase winner Hidden Law suffered a fatal injury just a few strides after the line.

It was a devastating blow for the team who came into the May meeting on the high of victory in the 2,000 Guineas with Notable Speech at Newmarket last weekend.

Their Hidden Law was an impressive three-length winner of the Chester Vase, with runner-up Agenda seven-and-a-half-lengths clear of the rest, and looked poised to take City Of Troy's place as favourite for the Betfred Derby.

But before the bookmakers got the chance to revise the betting he took a false step on the road crossing and suffered a fatal leg injury.

Buick was unhurt and no blame was apportioned to the track by Appleby, who was understandably devastated.

"He passed the line okay and just crossed the road and put a false step in over the road," the trainer said. "It was the force of it coming down on a false step basically. It's one of those very freak accidents. He sustained a fracture to his right foreleg and had to be euthanised."

Hidden Law, a home-bred son of Dubawi, had made his debut only in March. He finished second in a novice event at Southwell on his first start and earned a crack at the Vase by winning a maiden at Newbury by five and a half lengths last month. 

"It's very disappointing," Appleby said. "I'm so sorry for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and team Godolphin. To have a horse like him potentially coming through the ranks was exciting for everybody. 

Charlie Appleby: "I'm so sorry for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and team Godolphin. To have a horse like him potentially coming through the ranks was exciting for everybody."Credit: Edward Whitaker

"It's a sad day. I have to thank everybody here at the course, they've been very accommodating and very speedy in what they've done. I'm very sorry for Wayne the groom and all the staff back at Moulton Paddocks who've done so much work with this horse. It's one of those unfortunate freak accidents."

Aidan O'Brien-trained colts filled second and third places and Paul Smith of Coolmore was full of sympathy for their rivals' loss.

"I was standing with Charlie just before the race and we were talking about our two horses in the big race," he said. "It's tough because you feel for their team. We're competitors but we travel together and we need each other."  

The incident, in the feature event on the first day of the Chester May meeting, occurred live on ITV4. Lead presenter Ed Chamberlin said: "Unfortunately that's the nature of the sport. It's an awesome, wonderful sport that has that trapdoor to despair, sadly.

"I was thinking of Charlie. He had the high of Saturday, winning the Guineas to this and he was wreathed in smiles then all of a sudden — bang. My heart went out to him and all the Godolphin team."

Reflecting on a hugely difficult broadcast, he added: "[Commentator] Richard Hoiles handled it very well. You are reliant on the director getting off those shots as quickly as you can and you've got to be as sensitive to the situation as you possibly can.

"This place went so flat in an instant. I feel so sorry for everyone connected with the horse."

There was also sympathy from the course for Hidden Law's owner, trainer and jockey.

Louise Stewart, Chester chief executive, said: "Our thoughts and minds are with the connections of the horse affected. It's not what we want to happen.

"Just to reiterate these are elite athletes and unfortunately this sometimes happens in our sport. None of us like it and we're constantly working to try and eradicate it.

"We'll look at what happened here and I'd like to thank the trainers for their support, and in particular John Gosden for explaining to the audience so well about how horseracing works."

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'We try to do everything in situations like this' - John Gosden on why Hidden Law couldn't be saved after fracturing off-foreleg

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