Three horses died at Kempton Park on Saturday during the Lanzarote Hurdle card, including Grade One-winning Kalif Du Berlais, who was part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson. The horse unseated jockey Harry Cobden in the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase and landed with a broken shoulder that proved untreatable, leading to euthanasia.
Trainer Paul Nicholls described the loss as 'a big kick in the teeth' and 'a sad day', expressing his sympathy for the owners and the horse's groom. He noted that Cobden was 'extremely upset' and withdrew from his final ride. Nicholls added that Kalif Du Berlais had been showing his class and that it was a shame he would never fulfil his potential.
In the Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap Chase, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s horse Peso was pulled up with an injury that could not be treated, and racecourse vets euthanised him. Harry Derham’s Wertpol also died after falling at the last in the juvenile hurdle. Derham called it 'an utterly miserable day' and praised the Heart Of The South syndicate that owned the horse.
A Kempton Park spokesperson offered condolences, stating that the welfare of racehorses is deeply important to them. The British Horseracing Authority said it will analyse each incident through its fatality review process and will also conduct an additional review to assess any potential causal links, though no common factor has been identified yet.
