IT’S always sad to lose a good horse but it’s even worse to lose a good one who had the potential to be even better. Finian’s Oscar had a topsy-turvy season but he was a horse who still had the scope to go right to the top coming into his second-season-chaser year.

After a couple of poor runs at Cheltenham, Colin Tizzard’s chaser came into his own back at Aintree, landing the Manifesto Chase in determined fashion. Up to three miles at Punchestown, he looked to be coming with a huge challenge when taken out by Al Boum Photo and Paul Townend in the now infamous Growise Novice Chase.