'Never seen that in 30 years' - Japanese Breeders’ Cup horse caught up in major scare

Ushba Tesoro, the 2023 Dubai World Cup winner, panicked aft dispensing with his rider portion exercising connected the way astatine Del Mar for the £5 cardinal Classic

One of Japan’s champion horses was progressive successful a scary incidental connected Monday portion preparing to tally successful the US's richest equine race.

Ushba Tesoro, who won the Dubai World Cup successful 2023 and has vocation net of astir £13million, is being prepared for a 2nd ace astatine the £5m Breeders’ Cup Classic successful which helium finished 5th past year. He has a estimation for being recalcitrant but Monday’s workout took a worrying crook erstwhile helium deed the way astatine Del Mar.

Ushba Tesoro was jogging mildly on the main way erstwhile helium abruptly halted, sending his workout rider flying implicit his head. The rider Masakazu Fukami managed to support clasp of the reins but Ushba Tesoro’s caput was twisted round.

He started to tussle with his jockey, arsenic helium wheeled astir and appeared panicked earlier yet calming down. The incidental was shown during the Breakfast astatine the Cup amusement connected TV.

Pundit Simon Bray said: “He conscionable propped there. He saw thing and the rider came off. The workout rider has done a large job.

“Look astatine him. This is simply a scary infinitesimal here. If helium gets escaped that could beryllium his Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

Fukami was yet legged backmost up connected the equine and was reportedly unhurt successful the incident. But during a further reappraisal of what happened, erstwhile trainer Bray spotted what had caused the equine to go distressed.

“You spot thing is hooked,” helium explained. “His rima is caught successful the stirrup. He’s biting the rider’s stirrup. He’s got his rima successful the robust and that’s what’s causing that.

“I don’t cognize whether helium grabbed it oregon it flipped up successful his rima but he’s biting onto that. It mightiness beryllium stuck connected his jaw.

“He’s got to get it out. That stirrup was wedged successful his mouth. I’ve been successful this crippled 30 years and I’ve ne'er seen that.”