Mere disappointment turned to tragedy for trainer Michael Hourigan at Cheltenham yesterday when Beef or Salmon's early fall in the Gold Cup was followed by the death of the stable's greatest ever horse, Dorans Pride.
The veteran star fell at the second fence in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase, breaking a leg.
He was put down on the track soon afterwards.
At 14, he had more than earned the retirement originally intended for him last year.
He won 27 of his 61 races and was placed in another 22, including the Gold Cups of 1997 and '98. But his restlessness at pasture persuaded the connections to give him one more trip to Cheltenham, scene of one of his greatest triumphs when he won the Stayers' Hurdle in 1995.
Less than an hour earlier, Hourigan had seen his young pretender Beef or Salmon take an early tumble out of the Gold Cup.
Despite the gamble of running a novice in steeplechasing's biggest race, the seven year old had been sent off a warm second favourite behind Best Mate, which became the first horse to successfully defend the Gold Cup since L'Escargot in 1971.
After a sparkling start to the three day festival, Ireland suffered other disappointments yesterday, most notably when people's favourite Limestone Lad could finish only third in the Stayers' Hurdle.
But Cheltenham 2003 ended as it had begun, with an Irish 1-2.
The Jessica Harrington-trained Spirit Leader made it six Irish winners at the meeting, when holding off Balapour by a neck in the Vincent O'Brien Hurdle, and in the process confirmed Barry Geraghty as the runaway winner of the jockeys' title.
Spirit Leader's triumph was upstaged in the winners' enclosure by the connections of the runner-up.
Balapour's second place was the best result yet for Monaghan trainer Oliver Brady, a man for whom the description "extrovert" is not nearly adequate.
As the racecourse emptied, Brady led his followers in a raucus, flag-waving celebration, featuring his trademark chant: "Up Monaghan".
As one of his fans commented: "It'd be some craic if he won."
