Legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Looks Like Trouble dies aged 33

Jumps racing was mourning legendary Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Looks Like Trouble who has passed away at the age of 33. Trained in Lambourn by Noel Chance, and ridden to his biggest triumphs by Paul Carberry, Norman Williamson and Richard Johnson, he took on a beat some of the biggest names of the time.

Under Chance, who is now retired, Looks Like Trouble won eight times over fences, landing the 1999 Royal & Sun Alliance Chase by 30 lengths as a 16-1 chance under Carberry.

Williamson was handed the reins the following season yet, after wins at Sandown and Cheltenham, he was replaced after a falling out with owner Tim Collins.

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He returned to the Festival under Johnson where he defeated Florida Pearl, trained by , by five lengths. Later the same year he beat Dorans Pride to win the Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Injury limited Looks Like Trouble to just three more appearances over jumps and, after an appearance on the Flat at in 2003, he retired to spend the rest of his days with his big race winning jockey Richard Johnson, Chance’s son-in-law.

“He was a great age,” said Chance. “The family have had him for 29 years. I had him as a four-year-old and trained him until he was 11 and then Richard had him from then until now. He was a family pet.

“He was so easy to deal with, easy to deal with when he was in training, and easy to deal with when racing and at home. Then in between he could win a Gold Cup and the odd Grade 1. He was just the perfect horse.”

He continued: “We all knew this was going to happen. He was finding it difficult to get up and he just lay down and didn’t get up. He just fell asleep.”

“Gold Cup winners tend to be slow but I brought him to Newbury one day and I galloped him with Flagship Uberalles over a mile and a half and Flagship, who was a two-miler, couldn’t get by him.”