Racehorse Springwell Bay has died on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival after a heavy fall.
Racing in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap this afternoon, the eight-year-old bay gelding had previously won the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase on New Year’s Day.
Trained by Jonjo and AJ O’Neill and ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr, it is the first horse to die at the festival this year.
A statement from Cheltenham said: ‘In our second race of the day, Springwell Bay was immediately attended to by our veterinary professionals, but sadly sustained a fatal injury. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.’
Announcing the news on ITV, commentator Ed Chamberlain said: ‘There will be a sad postscript to the race I’m afraid because I have been handed a note to say that Springwell Bay, who took a nasty fall and was immediately tended to by the veterinary professionals, sadly sustained a fatal injury.
Racing in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap this afternoon, the eight-year-old bay gelding had previously won the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase on New Year’s Day
Springwell Bay ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr (centre) during the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Springwell Bay leads horses on the gallops during a visit to Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s training yard at Jackdaws Castle, Cheltenham
‘Our heartfelt condolences go out to the connections of Springwell Bay. That is a sad finish to the race that was won by Caldwell Potter.’
Animal charities have expressed their horror at the death, as they note Springwell Bay is the 77th horse to die at Cheltenham since 2000.
Last year, three horses died in one Sunday afternoon – including one while an interview was being concluded on ITV.
Elisa Allen, Vice President of Programmes at animal activist group PETA branded the sport ‘disgusting’ in the wake of the horse death as they branded the tragic spectacle ‘predictable’.
She told MailOnline: ‘Cheltenham Festival has claimed the lives of 76 horse deaths in the past 25 years alone, making Springwell Bay’s demise on the track as predictable as it is tragic.
‘While the horse racing industry celebrates human amusement with champagne, it cannot hide the carnage, with horses pushed to, and beyond, their breaking point.
Springwell Bay during a visit to Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s training yard at Jackdaws Castle, Cheltenham
‘Were it cats or dogs shattering their ankles, snapping their necks, and being slaughtered when their profitability ran dry, no one would be cheering.
‘Every horse is someone, too, and they deserve better than to bleed and die for this disgusting pseudo-sport.’
Nina Copleston-Hawkens, Animal Aid’s Campaigns Manager, added: ‘Here we are again – yet one more innocent life lost – whilst the industry cries crocodile tears and proclaim falsehoods about ‘welfare’ and ‘truly caring for the horses’.
‘Make no mistake, any industry which profits of the exploitation and death of innocent animals is working on borrowed time – and Animal Aid will ensure that horse racing is consigned to the history books where it belongs.’
The British Horse Racing Authority says it has invested more than £50million in advancing equine health since 2000.
The board conducts a fatality review process where they gather information from staff at the racecourse, jockeys, trainers and vets alongside going through the horse’s records.
It comes a year after one of Cheltenham’s darkest afternoons saw three horses dead in one afternoon.
Last year Cheltenham witnessed a tragic afternoon as three horses died – including Abuffalosoldier, who had won the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase, ridden by Sean Bowen
Bangers And Cash also suffered a heart attack after pulling up at the 14th fence (pictured at Uttoxeter)
Napper Tandy suffered a fatal fall in the Greatwood Hurdle (pictured at Punchestown, Kildare)
Abuffalosoldier – who was ridden by Sean Bowen, trained in Lambourn by Warren Greatrex and owned by the Mahler and The Wailers group – had produced an incredible display of jumping and galloping in the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase and crossed the line to a hero’s ovation.
Bowen was greeted by ITV’s on-course reporter Alice Plunkett at the top of the straight, as it custom, and gave her his thoughts about things had unfolded but, just after the pair had finished speaking, Abuffalosoldier lost his balance and slithered to the ground. Cameras immediately cut away.
The seven-year-old gelding was attended to be racecourse vets but he could not be saved; there had already been a dark post as Bangers And Cash – trained by Ben Pauling for owners OAP II and partnered by Ben Jones – was pulled up at the 14th of 22 fences. He, too, suffered a heart attack.
The shocking nature of the incident left the ITV presenting crew, headed by Ed Chamberlin, visibly upset and connections of the horses were inconsolable. Viewers described the scene as ‘unwatchable’ and ‘devastating’.
To make matters worse, however, Napper Tandy, trained by Matthew J Smith for owner Ray Stokes, suffered a fatal fall in the following race, the Greatwood Hurdle.
This is a breaking story, more to follow.
