Darlan dies in fall

Darlan, favourite for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival prior to today’s rescheduled race at Doncaster, has died after a fatal fall at the last fence in the Listed 32 Hurdle Race.

Darlan was challenging eventual winner Rock on Ruby and looked primed to finish well when falling badly. The screens were quickly erected and trainer Jonjo O’Neill confirmed that the popular horse had broken his neck.

Racing can be a cruel sport. Tragedies such as this one are few and far between. But when they happen they affect all those who love horse racing.

My sympathies go to all connections of the horse, especially those who looked after him daily. And should there by anyone foolish enough out there to think that jockeys, including Tony McCoy who was on Darlan, do not care when horses die; well I suggest you watch him talk movingly to me about such tragedies between 15 and 18 minutes of this video recorded at the end of 2011

And lest we forget what a star of racing we have lost, here is Darlan winning in fine style at Kempton Park last Boxing Day