A major motorway was brought to a standstill in a dramatic late-night operation to rescue a racehorse stranded on his journey home from the track.
Motorway Shutdown for Equine Emergency
The incident occurred on Friday, January 3rd, 2026, after the eight-year-old gelding Lion Ring had competed at Wolverhampton racecourse. The horse, known as 'Simba' in the stable, had just finished third in division one of the Make The Move To Midnite Classified Stakes, a race won by Midnight Call.
Loaded onto the horsebox for the 77-mile trip back to his training base in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, the journey was abruptly halted when the vehicle malfunctioned on the M6. Trainer Andy Martin, who was driving, sensed a problem and was forced to pull into a layby as the hard shoulder was in use.
"I was driving, and it wasn't a great feeling at all when it happened," Martin later told the Racing Post. The situation necessitated a full closure of the motorway to allow for the safe transfer of the horse to another lorry.
"Rescue Heroes" Praised by Grateful Trainer
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Martin showered praise on the emergency teams who came to their aid. "Simba would like to thank all the rescue heroes that helped him and us last night," he wrote. "You were all amazing, polite, helpful, understanding and most importantly of all we felt safe and reassured all would be OK."
He described the scene as "scary" being on the side of the busy motorway, noting how "weird" it became when traffic was stopped for the operation. Martin specifically thanked the Highway Patrol Officers, AA Horse Transport Ltd, and E&S Motors Ltd for their crucial roles in the rescue and for eventually getting them home.
The entire ordeal lasted around two hours, turning an expected 8pm arrival into a midnight return. Throughout the stress, the horse's behaviour was exemplary. "Lion Ring is such a cool dude, he wasn't stressed about anything," Martin said. "He was amazing, he stood so quietly and came off the lorry and straight on to another one without any issue."
A Professional Veteran Unfazed by the Drama
The trainer contrasted this calmness with other horses he has trained, remarking that "one or two horses we've had would have kicked the lorry to bits if they'd been there that long."
Lion Ring is no novice to the racing life. The sprinter, now with his fifth trainer after joining Martin in February 2023, has had a long career comprising 70 races since his debut in a Dundalk maiden in Ireland in 2020. He is a five-time winner, with his most recent victory at Chelmsford in October 2024.
Remarkably, the gelding could be back in action swiftly. Martin indicated that Lion Ring could return to Wolverhampton for a race as early as the following Tuesday, showing no ill effects from his motorway misadventure.
The incident, which Martin dubbed "just another adventure with Andy Martin Racing," highlights the unexpected challenges of transporting equine athletes and the coordinated response required when things go wrong on Britain's busiest roads.
