Three Horses Perish at Cheltenham November Meeting

The third and final day of the November Meeting at Cheltenham on Sunday was marked by the deaths of three horses. Abuffalosoldier, competing at the Cheltenham course for the third time in his career, collapsed after winning the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase, which was the fourth race of the day. A statement issued by the racecourse confirmed that the seven-year-old horse, ridden by Sean Bowen and trained by Warren Greatrex, “was immediately attended (to) by expert veterinary professionals but sadly could not be saved.” The statement further expressed: “Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.” Earlier in the same race, Bangers And Cash, from the Ben Pauling yard, also collapsed. This occurred after the horse was pulled up following the 14th fence. In the fifth race of the day, Napper Tandy, trained by Matthew Smith, suffered a fatal injury after falling two hurdles from the finish line. A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority commented on the incidents, stating: “The losses of Abuffalosoldier, Bangers And Cash and Napper Tandy at Cheltenham today are a tragedy for all connections and the thoughts of all of us at the BHA are with them.” The spokesperson added that “All three were provided with outstanding care and attention throughout their lives by those who cared for them and nobody will be more heartbroken tonight than those individuals.” They concluded by saying: “As with all fatalities, we will seek to understand the circumstances behind each incident as we strive to continue to reduce avoidable risk in our sport.” Following the deaths of Abuffalosoldier and Bangers and Cash, Liam Kearns, the lead veterinary surgeon for Jockey Club Racecourses, spoke to Racing TV. He explained: “(In) both cases we call them cardio-vascular collapse, as you can’t say at this stage whether it is a true heart attack or whether it is a major blood vessel that has ruptured. But it is of that nature and therefore it is a sudden death situation.” Kearns further elaborated that “The vets are deployed all around the racecourse so both horses were attended within seconds and in those situations of acute collapse there are some drugs we can administer but if it is a true cardio-vascular collapse, not a lot can be done.” He drew a comparison, stating: “It’s a high-intensity racing situation. We have similar when marathon runners run or long-distance races are run – there is always a concern that athletes at a high level of exertion can without any previous symptoms present this situation.” Kearns noted the unusual occurrence, remarking: “It’s a huge coincidence that it happened twice in the same race.” He also emphasized the care given to the animals: “All horses are thoroughly checked at home before they leave to go to the races, they are monitored carefully when they arrive at the races and trainers and connections love them to bits – no horse would go to the races with any prior knowledge of a situation like this.” Concluding his remarks, Kearns stated: “It is one of those sudden things that can strike.”