Galopin Des Champs' connections were left stunned after the horse fell at the last fence when seemingly cruising to victory at the Cheltenham Festival.
The big screen cut out at Cheltenham as the 5/6 favourite stumbled on landing after jumping the final fence in the Turners Novices' Chase.
That left connections of the horse who is owned by Audrey Turley not knowing what happened before the screen came back on to show Bob Olinger crawling up the hill to victory.
Read more: Cheltenham Festival day three LIVE updates
Galopin Des Champs looked certain to land the spoils when he jumped the last well clear of Bob Olinger, but he slipped and knuckled over a stride after landing and ditched Paul Townend onto the ground.
That left Bob Olinger (6-5) to come home unchallenged with Busselton picking up the pieces for second place in the four-runner Grade One heat, 40 lengths behind the winner.
Until that untimely exit everything had gone to plan for Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins’ six-year-old had jumped exuberantly in the early stages and had Bob Olinger under pressure before the race was turned on its head and the 5-6 favourite crashed out after seemingly clearing the last safely.
Bob Olinger’s rider Rachael Blackmore admitted the Henry de Bromhead-trained winner was fortunate.
She said: “It’s great to see Paul and Galopin are up and OK. It was their race to win. I don’t know what to say really, it’s fantastic to win, I’m delighted to win.
“I didn’t get into as good a rhythm as I thought I was going to. I thought that was my fate turning in, but that’s jumps racing.”
De Bromhead said: “You never want to win in those circumstances,but this game – always expect the unexpected and we’re delighted to win and we need to show a bit of joy as well.
“I was surprised to see him off the bridle so soon, obviously the other one is something else. I never thought I’d see another horse do that to him.
“He made a couple of mistakes so we still have to work on the jumping, but he jumped well on the first circuit.
“He’s still a work in progress, it was still only his third run over fences and he’s won a Grade Three and a Grade One.
“You don’t like to win a race like that, though.”
Mullins reported Galopin Des Champs to be unscathed after his fall and is optimistic about what the future now holds.
He said: “He’s fine. The reins just got caught around his leg and he panicked a little bit and it took a while to get it all sorted. I think Paul is probably sorer than the horse is.
“Paul just said he landed well and slipped on his next stride. We move on.
“I’m very pleased with the performance and I suppose we’re getting used to horses falling at the last around here – first of all Adamant Approach and then Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux.
“It’s disappointing, but we have a sound jockey and a sound horse and we live to fight another day – and I’m sure we’ve been on the other end of the scale as well.
“It’s tough, but it looks like we could have a very special on horse on our hands.
“I’m delighted I ran him in that race because I can go back to two miles now – we can do anything we want with him.
“It has always been in the back of my mind that we could go back in trip with him.”
Galopin Des Champs' odds for next year's Gold Cup were cut following the race.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “It was rotten luck for Galopin Des Champs at Cheltenham today but up until that moment he looked an absolute machine and is our favourite for next year’s Gold Cup.”
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