Racing reacts to Thistlecrack news

Following the shock news that Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack will miss the rest of the season through injury, reaction was quickly forthcoming from the wider racing community, on what is another huge blow to next month's Cheltenham Festival.

Top jockey and Gold Cup-winning rider Barry Geraghty said:

"It's disappointing for everyone concerned, they did so well over hurdles last year and fences this year. I'm sure it won't be the end of the line for him, but even still it is a bitter pill to swallow. It's been some year for horses dropping out."

Rich Ricci - owner of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, said in his BetBright blog for RTE:

"The race looks a bit different after that terrible news about Thistlecrack earlier but I still think that Colin Tizzard has a wonderful chance of winning the race with Native River and Cue Card.

"Colin has done such a brilliant job - not just in preparing his horses but also in dealing with connections of those horses and the media. I have lots of time for him."

Ruby Walsh, Djakadam's rider and the leading Cheltenham Festival jockey of all time, told Racing UK:

"It's obviously very disappointing for connections, he's such an exciting horse.

"I suppose they started off with him at Chepstow in October with one aim - to win the King George and get to Cheltenham.

"To get so close, with just over three weeks until the Gold Cup, it must be bitterly disappointing for them.

"It shows what a difficult job trainers have to keep them sound and get them fit and run them in the right races. It's a hard job for everyone involved.

"There's good days and bad days and unfortunately for the Tizzards, they're having a downer today.

"You'd love to wrap them in cotton wool, but you can't. If you wrap them in cotton wool and go there half ready you won't win.

"But that's sport. Whatever sport it is there will be injuries."

Paul Nicholls, UK champion trainer, said:

"He is a nice horse and everyone is disappointed when it happens, we have all been down that route and it is a nightmare. But he will probably be back. Any leg injury will take a bit of time and they probably won't rush him back until after Christmas.

"They will probably look at running him in next year's Gold Cup. He will be 10 then, but you can still win at 10 as he is a good horse.

"The other day Native River was good. I do think he is the one to beat. He is just like Denman, he gallops and jumps and stays. I thought immediately after Chepstow that he will win the Gold Cup."