Everest winner Think About It dies aged seven after colic surgery

Trainer Joe Pride has paid tribute to “unique” Everest champion Think About It, described by connections as a once-in-a-lifetime horse, after he was euthanised at age seven following complications from colic surgery.

The son of So You Think, a $70,000 buy for syndication company Proven Thoroughbreds and Pride at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, earned $12,163,050, highlighted by his 2023 Everest triumph.

He racked up 11 victories in 19 starts before being retired after collapsing with a pulmonary haemorrhage in the Sydney Stakes on Everest day at Randwick a year on from his greatest victory.

To the relief of connections and the massive Everest crowd, the gelding walked off the track and recovered before retiring to the property of regular rider, Sam Clipperton.

Think About It won 11 of his first 12 starts, culminating in the $20 million Everest, the richest race on turf, to provide a career highlight for Pride and Clipperton.

Pride said Think About It had been “struggling for a week or so”, and he visited his former champion at Randwick Equine Centre before his death.

“He was a really unique horse, he didn’t race until he was nearly four and then it was like a whirlwind, in those 14, 15 months when he won all those races,” Pride said.

“Then he was gone just as quick. He was a strange horse, just a ball of energy, and those sorts of horses tend to burn out and that’s what sort of happened to him on the track.

“He’s one I won’t forget, but it was just how he did it. He won nine straight, and the end part of that was the Kingsford-Smith, Stradbroke, Premiere and the Everest, four big, million-dollar races in a row. Not many horses will ever do that in their career.

“There wasn’t an ounce of any malice in him, but he was just a hard horse to handle because he was just so full-on in everything he did.”

Proven Thoroughbreds said they were deeply saddened to announce Think About It had been euthanised on Tuesday.

“A once-in-a-lifetime horse, Think About It rose to stardom in the blink of an eye, progressing from a midweek BM72 to a pair of Group 1s and of course The Everest in a whirlwind 2023,” the company posted on Wednesday morning.

“But where his story became truly remarkable was in the following year when he survived a massive pulmonary haemorrhage after falling in the Sydney Stakes at Randwick.

“He was swiftly retired after that scare and placed into the care of his regular jockey Sam Clipperton.

“Unfortunately, our horse affectionately known as ‘Spud’ was not able to cheat death twice. After initially coming through colic surgery successfully, Spud took a turn for the worse despite the efforts of the amazing team at Randwick Equine Centre.

“A high-energy horse, Think About It applied himself 110% to everything he did, without a great deal of self-preservation. He tried his absolute guts out every time he raced and that is all any owner/fan/punter can ever ask for. Maybe he was supposed to ‘Live fast, die young’.

“RIP Spud.”