Star two-year-old racehorse and favourite for £2.5m race drowns in freak accident

King Kirk, who was the aboriginal marketplace person for adjacent year’s Golden Slipper, was having a regular aquatics aft taking portion successful a nationalist workout

One of Australia’s prima two-year-old racehorses has died successful a freak accident.

King Kirk, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was the aboriginal favourite for adjacent year’s £2.5 cardinal Golden Slipper, the world’s richest contention for two-year-olds.

He had earned that presumption with an awesome triumph successful a Group 3 contention connected his debut successful October.

On Tuesday helium made his archetypal nationalist quality since his triumph erstwhile helium took portion successful a obstruction proceedings astatine Randwick racecourse.

He finished 4th successful the workout nether Tim Clark which was posted connected owners’ MyRacehorse website with comments from the jockey.

“He looks to person travel backmost successful fantastic order,” members of the syndicate were told. “He was fixed a comparatively casual clip of it spot it was large to spot his maturity erstwhile helium relaxed astatine the rear during the run.

“Once fixed immoderate room, his crook of ft to the enactment was electrical nether minimal riding. He volition apt person different proceedings successful 2 weeks clip and he’ll instrumentality plentifulness of betterment retired of today’s outing.”

The station promised further updates, yet not the 1 that was posted a abbreviated clip aboriginal connected the MyRacehorse Facebook page.

“It is with dense hearts that we accidental goodbye to King Kirk, an unthinkable racehorse who brought truthful overmuch joyousness and pridefulness to everyone progressive successful his journey,” the station said.

“King Kirk was much than conscionable a horse; helium was a portion of our household and an inspiration to each who followed his career.

“Our thoughts are with each you, his owners, who loved and supported him, and with the unchangeable unit who cared for him with specified dedication each day. We cognize however overmuch this nonaccomplishment volition measurement connected everyone, and we are present to enactment you successful immoderate mode we can.

“Today is simply a hard time for america all, but we instrumentality comfortableness successful the memories of his achievements, his strength, and his spirit.

“King Kirk volition beryllium profoundly missed, but helium volition stay successful our hearts forever.”

This followed the merchandise of a connection from the Waterhouse and Bott stable, which elaborate what had happened.

"Unfortunately, King Kirk has passed distant this day pursuing an incidental that occurred during his recovery.

"King Kirk was routinely swimming astatine the Randwick racecourse equine excavation nether the supervision of his regular handler and foreman, erstwhile helium panicked causing him to swallow a important magnitude of h2o successful the process.

"Despite the efforts by his handlers, ATC (Australian Turf Club), unit and veterinarians, helium sadly could not beryllium saved."