Horseracing fans slam ITV for ‘shocking decision’ following heartbreaking death of three horses during Cheltenham meet

SOCIAL MEDIA users were outraged erstwhile ITV News chose to broadcast the moments earlier the decease of 3 horses astatine Cheltenham racecourse connected Sunday.

One changeable adjacent included the winning equine of the Holland And Cooper Handicap Chase, Abuffalosoldier, adjacent illness arsenic his jockey Sean Bowen was inactive onboard and conscionable finishing his post-race interview.

Moments aft ITV Racing presenter Alice Plunkett had spoken to the jockey, the equine was filmed displaying worrying antics earlier the cameras rapidly chopped away.

Despite being attended by the on-course vets, the seven-year-old gelding became the 2nd fatality of the time aft the Ben Pauling-trained Bangers And Cash collapsed earlier successful the aforesaid race.

Less than an hr later, a 3rd calamity struck erstwhile the Matthew J Smith-trained Napper Tandy fell successful the Greatwood Hurdle - 1 of the weekend's biggest races.

The distressing footage of each 3 tragedies was past broadcast a SECOND clip to ITV Teatime News viewers, alongside an interrogation with an Animal Rising protestor who believed successful putting a halt to the athletics altogether.

Both editorial decisions came nether occurrence from X, formerly known arsenic Twitter, users.

One commenter said: "What connected world is ITV News doing showing a replay of a equine having a bosom onslaught mid-race? What intent does that serve? Shocking editorial decision."

Another added: "Why the F*** are ITV News moving a communicative supporting banning equine racing? You batch virtually aerial it connected ITV Racing."

ITV is 1 twelvemonth into a three-year woody to amusement free-to-air sum of UK equine racing until the extremity of 2026.

But they inactive chose to broadcast the 'distressing' quality segment, which was introduced by anchor Shehab Khan with a warning.

He said: "A warning, you whitethorn find immoderate of the images successful Chris Scudder's study upsetting."

The study shown to Teatime viewers included shots of the equine fatalities magnified and ringed to item the fatalities.

Unhappy viewers described the segment, which was produced by a antithetic editorial squad to the ITV Racing sum earlier that day, arsenic 'unwatchable' and 'distressing.'

An ITV Racing interrogation with Liam Kearns, a veterinary surgeon for the Jockey Club, was besides portion of the report.

Kearns said: "It's a high-risk athletics for the horses and the humans.

"Every clip there's an exertional lawsuit determination is simply a risk. In the payment concern each these horses are thoroughly checked retired astatine home.

"They won't travel to the races unless they are successful bully shape.

"We strive to proceed to trim avoidable hazard successful our sport. All factual information relating to fatal wounded rates successful British racing tin beryllium recovered astatine www.horsepwer.co.uk and the wide fatal wounded complaint successful Jump Racing is 0.42 per cent of runners."

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