Fergal O’Brien expressed that the only consolation he could find from the death of Highland Hunter at Cheltenham on Tuesday was that he was now with Keagan Kirkby.
Kirkby had cared for Highland Hunter while working with champion trainer Paul Nicholls and had grown very fond of the grey chaser.
Kirkby, 25, tragically died in a point-to-point fall in February and Highland Hunter led his funeral procession through the village of Ditcheat last week.
Highland Hunter, who had recently won a valuable prize at Newbury, led the Ultima Chase on the first day of the Festival, making some extravagant leaps under Paddy Brennan.
However, he weakened quickly after jumping the third-last hurdle, and the 11-year-old was unable to be saved despite the quick attention of racecourse veterinary staff.
‘It's obviously a very sad day for the yard, especially for Scott (Sainsbury) and Sophie (Kelly) who took care of Highland Hunter,’ said O’Brien, who trains locally to the Prestbury Park track.
‘I guess the only comfort we can take is that he is with Keagan now. It's a very sad day.’
According to the Racing Post, James Given, the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) director of equine regulation, safety and welfare, stated that Hunter had a cardiovascular collapse before the second-last fence.
He mentioned that such cases were ‘very rare’ as they occur in ‘approximately 0.03% of runners’.
Martin Brassil’s Ose Partir also died due to injuries sustained in a fall in the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle.
A representative for the course said: ‘Highland Hunter was immediately attended by expert veterinary professionals in the concluding stages of our third race but sadly passed away.
‘In the sixth race, Ose Partir sustained an injury and was humanely put to sleep. Our heartfelt condolences are with the connections of both horses.’
Nina Copleston-Hawkens, Animal Aid campaigns officer, told Sky News: ‘If race horses are 'treated like kings,' as the racing industry would like us to believe, why has another horse lost his life?
‘Cheltenham is a notorious killer of race horses and should be prohibited. This is not sport or entertainment, this is animal cruelty.’
The RSPCA also stated on social media that the BHA ‘must thoroughly investigate the circumstances and whether anything can be done to prevent fatalities in future.’
