Cheltenham horse deaths 'could not have been prevented' declares BHA review

Bangers And Cash, Abuffalosoldier and Napper Tandy died astatine Cheltenham Racecourse connected Sunday. The British Horseracing Authority is reviewing each of the incidents

Racing chiefs person reached the adjacent signifier of an probe into the deaths of 3 horses successful 1 time astatine Cheltenham.

Bangers And Cash, Abuffalosoldier and Napper Tandy lost their lives successful abstracted incidents connected Sunday's last card of the November Meeting. In their latest statement, the British Horseracing Authority said "none of the fatalities could person been predicted oregon prevented."

A reappraisal has besides elaborate post-mortem results and identified that Bangers And Cash and Abuffalosoldier collapsed arsenic a effect of a uncommon bosom information that affects a precise tiny fig of thoroughbreds.

A BHA spokesperson said: "All 3 horses were sent for post-mortem introspection and the results person confirmed that some Bangers And Cash and Abuffalosoldier suffered from abstracted varieties of cardiovascular collapse, which is simply a signifier of Exercise Associated Sudden Death (EASD).

"Napper Tandy fractured a vertebra successful his cervix pursuing a fall, with nary different abnormalities identified. No causal nexus could beryllium identified and arsenic it stands, nary of the fatalities could person been predicted oregon prevented anterior to the race.

"As with humans, EASD tin hap successful young, acceptable and different seemingly steadfast horses of each breeds. Incidents of EASD are, however, infrequent successful races, with an wide complaint of 0.04% of runners (four successful each 10,000) resulting successful this outcome. In Jump racing specifically the complaint is 0.09%, oregon 9 successful each 10,000 runners.

"The astir commonly identified origin of EASD is cardiopulmonary (i.e. cardiac arrest) but ample vas rupture and cardinal tense strategy lesions tin besides occur."

British racing has invested £56million successful advancing equine health, veterinary subject and probe since the twelvemonth 2000. Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) wealth is backing a survey into identifying horses astatine hazard of processing irregular bosom rhythms, successful concern with specializer Celia Marr.

In 2013, the equine prof led an probe into apical two-miler Sprinter Sacre's bosom contented which saw him propulsion up astatine Kempton. Nicky Henderson's unchangeable prima - 1 of top-rated horses of each clip - was nursed backmost to wellness and went connected to regain his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown.

Fellow veterinarian Jeff Blea, an equine aesculapian manager of the California Horse Racing Board, said horses bash not person "heart attacks" similar a idiosyncratic would.

"They've been capable to trim the incidence successful humans due to the fact that the causes are typically anatomical problems—cardiomyopathy, hypertension," helium told Bloodhorse. "We don't spot that successful a horse."

Following the deaths astatine Cheltenham, Liam Kearns, pb veterinary surgeon for Jockey Club Racecourses, explained what happened to Racing TV viewers. And later, Esme Cook, the groom of Abuffalosoldier, posted a tribute connected Facebook which read: “This has perchance been 1 the hardest days successful racing I’ve ever had.

"I cognize determination volition beryllium a batch of backlash astir losing this equine today.. 'racehorses aren’t looked aft properly', 'it’s cruel', 'they shouldn’t beryllium made to bash it'. You lone person to person watched this equine contiguous leap and question from obstruction to obstruction with his ears pricked to cognize that helium loved each infinitesimal of his clip retired determination and enactment his bosom connected the line.

“Buffalo was loved and cared for much than anyone volition ever know. I spent each time with him. He was my champion friend.

“He died contiguous doing what helium loved. My bosom is genuinely broken. There’s highs and lows successful this crippled and contiguous has been 1 of toughest."