{"id":1460,"date":"2026-04-10T09:49:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1460"},"modified":"2026-04-10T09:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:49:08","slug":"cheltenham-horse-hms-seahorse-dies-as-festival-rocked-by-tragic-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1460","title":{"rendered":"Cheltenham horse HMS Seahorse dies as Festival rocked by tragic news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_b6bb55\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">An ITV statement from Ed Chamberlin confirmed the sad news that HMS Seahorse tragically died<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">15:07, 11 Mar 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 17:41, 11 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36851620\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ITV issued a statement following the third race on day two of Cheltenham Festival\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851620.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Cheltenham-Fesitval.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851620.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_Cheltenham-Fesitval.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851620.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_Cheltenham-Fesitval.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851620.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Cheltenham-Fesitval.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"ITV issued a statement following the third race on day two of Cheltenham Festival\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">ITV issued a statement following the third race on day two of Cheltenham Festival<cite aria-label=\"Image: (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS\/AFP via Getty Images)          \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS\/AFP via Getty Images)          )<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Cheltenham Festival horse HMS Seahorse has sadly died after suffering a fatal injury in the third race on Wednesday. ITV confirmed the sad news as a statement was read out on ITV confirming the second horse death of the Festival<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The eight-year-old, trained by Paul Nolan, fell at the last hurdle in the 2.40pm BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle and, despite the best efforts of veterinary professionals, sadly passed away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">HMS Seahorse is the second horse to have died, with Hansard tragically dying after a fall in the second race of day one. Lead ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin confirmed the news as he read out a statement from Cheltenham.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The statement said that the eight-year-old was &#8220;immediately attended to by a team of expert vets during our third race of the day, but sadly sustained an injury when falling at the final hurdle and could not be saved. Our heartfelt condolences are with connections.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_020eaf\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Cheltenham Festival RECAP: Il Etait Temps lands Champion Chase as furious jockeys clash<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_020eaf\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Cheltenham Festival jockey row explodes as amateur claims &#8216;abuse&#8217; in remarkable TV rant<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Like all sports, horse racing involves risks, but The Jockey Club &#8211; the owners of 15 racecourses in the UK and the organisers of both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals &#8211; work tirelessly to continuously minimise the risks at its events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Since 2000, the racing industry has invested more than \u00a363 million in equine welfare, including veterinary science, education and research.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">British racing has an independently-chaired Horse Welfare Board, whose long-term strategic plan &#8216;A Life Well Lived&#8217; is already yielding results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">J<\/strong><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">OIN US ON FACEBOOK!<\/strong><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MirrorSport#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"> <\/strong><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><u>All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The rate of fallers in horse races has declined in all of the last 21 years and is now just 1.98% of runners. The fatal injury rate in 2025 was just 0.22% of 86,300 runners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Some of the changes made include the changing of markers on jumps on all racecourses from orange to white, following research by Exeter University into equine vision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The change to padded hurdles after data found this would reduce fallers by 11% and the introduction of a detailed review process within 48 hours of every fatality on a racecourse.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36851783\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36851783\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.45\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Runners and riders in the Cup Handicap Hurdle\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2265420712.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_GettyImages-2265420712.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GettyImages-2265420712.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36851783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_GettyImages-2265420712.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Runners and riders in the Cup Handicap Hurdle\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Runners and riders in the Cup Handicap Hurdle<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The racing industry regularly consults with established welfare organisations such as World Horse Welfare, RSPCA and Blue Cross to ensure it continually meets the highest standards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Over 80% of people say their perceptions of horse welfare change after visiting studs, training yards and aftercare centres.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sixty-five thousand free places for visits to centres become available during National Racehorse Week, which this year takes place from August 22nd to 31st.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">With five million attendees in 2025, horse racing is the second-most attended sport in the UK behind football.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An ITV statement from Ed Chamberlin confirmed the sad news that HMS Seahorse tragically died<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}