Seven-year-old Everest winner Think About It euthanised after colic surgery complications

Think About It, the seven-year-old gelding who stormed from midweek BM72 company to win The Everest in 2023, has been euthanised after complications following colic surgery, Proven Thoroughbreds announced. The syndicator said the champion initially recovered from the operation but then deteriorated at the Randwick Equine Centre and could not be saved.

Proven Thoroughbreds said, “Proven Thoroughbreds is deeply saddened to announce that Think About It was euthanised yesterday.” The release paid tribute to the gelding’s meteoric rise: “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.” The syndicator also acknowledged the veterinary team, saying, “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.”

Think About It compiled 19 starts for 11 wins and 3 placings, a record that captured the public imagination during a breakout 2023. That campaign included the Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) and the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane, then the $20 million Everest at Randwick, where Sam Clipperton rode the gelding from favouritism to hold off a fast-finishing I Wish I Win. Clipperton reflected on the Everest moment in 2023, saying, “This stuff doesn’t happen. It just went too perfect … I guess that’s what very good horses do. I’m just so privileged to be in a position of riding this horse.”

The gelding was by stallion So You Think and, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, fetched $70,000 at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for Proven Thoroughbreds and trainer Joe Pride. Pride described Think About It as “unique” and added, “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.”

Think About It’s story already contained a dramatic chapter when he fell in the 2024 Sydney Stakes at Randwick and suffered a “massive pulmonary haemorrhage.” He walked off the track, survived the haemorrhage, and was quickly retired to the care of Sam Clipperton. Proven Thoroughbreds noted the irony that the gelding “was not able to cheat death twice.”

Prizemoney totals reported in media vary. The Sydney Morning Herald lists total earnings of $12,163,050, while other outlets cited figures ranging from just over $11 million to more than $12 million. That discrepancy highlights the commercial value Think About It delivered to his syndicators, owners and the broader betting market during his short, electrifying peak.

Beyond loss of a headline performer, Think About It’s death is a reminder of the fragility of equine athletes and the stakes for owners, syndicators and trainers who invest in surgery, rehabilitation and aftercare. For fans, punters and the racing economy, the gelding’s legacy will be the raw speed and competitive heart he showed in 2023, and the uneasy conversation his passing reignites about surgical risks and post-racing welfare. The racing community will now reflect on his career and the veterinary responses that followed as it looks ahead to improving outcomes for other high-profile performers.