Racing mourns, pays tribute and promises review after three horses fatally injured on one day

Tributes have been paid and reviews will be carried out after three racehorses died in separate incidents at Kempton Park on Saturday (10 January).

Kalif Du Berlais, Wertpol and Peso sustained fatal injuries in separate races.

A British Horseracing Authority (BHA) spokesperson said the BHA will analyse each incident in detail through its fatality review process.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Grade One winner Kalif Du Berlais unseated jockey Harry Cobden at the ninth fence in the Grade Two Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase and sustained a fatal injury.

Mr Nicholls said he was devastated by the loss.

“He was a beautiful horse who had already brought so much joy to his owners and our team, crowned by a brilliant victory at Aintree last year. He showed such immense talent and promise, with a bright future ahead of him and we were lucky to train him in Ditcheat,” he said.

“Our deepest condolences go to his owners, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson, The Hales Family, Paul Hogarth and Peter Done and our team who cared for him at home, Sasha who looked after him and Olive who rode him every day.

“Racing can be unbearably hard at times. Rest easy Kalif.”

Wertpol’s trainer Harry Derham paid tribute to the four-year-old, who was fatally injured in a fall in a hurdle race earlier that day.

“He was a bright talent who was fresh and happy doing his work every day, often playing around and expressing himself. He loved his job and I am so sad for his Heart of the South syndicate, who are the most wonderful group of people,” he said.

“Racing at times can at times be a painful sport and today has been a tough day for a number of connections.”

Peso, a seven-year-old owned by Patrick Doyle and trained by Jonjo and AJ O’Neil, was pulled up by his jockey ahead of the eighth fence in a handicap chase.

The BHA spokesperson paid tribute to the three horses and said the BHA is “deeply saddened” by the fatalities.

“Our thoughts are with the connections of the horses, including the owners, trainers and the racing grooms, who looked after and cared for them throughout their lives and will be most affected by their loss,” he said.

“Each of the horses was attended immediately by the veterinary team on the racecourse, who quickly assessed the extent of the injuries and the most appropriate course of action.”

The spokesperson added: “The BHA will now analyse each of the incidents in detail through our fatality review process. This involves an in-depth review into every fatality that occurs on a raceday, with input from experts including veterinarians, racecourse teams and participants.

“At this stage there does not appear to be any common factor that can be attributed to these incidents, with each of the injuries different in nature and sustained in unique circumstances.”

“But as is the case where there is more than one fatality at a single race meeting, the BHA will also initiate its additional review process to assess all relevant factors in conjunction with the racecourse and determine whether there may be any causal links.

“These processes are part of wider and ongoing efforts across British racing to continually improve safety and reduce avoidable risk of injuries and fatalities.”

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