Racing

BHA says ‘no causal link’ found between Cheltenham fatalities

Bangers And Cash, Abuffalosoldier and Napper Tandy all died on the final day of the November meeting

Three horses died on the final day of Cheltenham November meeting last Sunday. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Three horses died on the final day of Cheltenham November meeting last Sunday. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Thu Nov 21 2024 - 14:18

Postmortem examinations on the three horses who died at Cheltenham on Sunday have suggested that none of the deaths “could have been predicted or prevented” prior to the meeting.

Bangers And Cash, Abuffalosoldier and Napper Tandy all died on the final day of the November meeting, triggering an enhanced review by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The review, which includes gathering and analysing information from racecourse staff, the jockeys, trainers, trainer’s veterinary surgeon, alongside relevant medication and training records, identified the cause of each of the three deaths and found no causal link between them.

An update from the sport’s governing body said: “On occasions when multiple fatalities occur on any given day, enhanced protocols are frequently enacted which includes assessing the incidents to determine whether any causal link can be attributed. This process can include postmortem examinations of the affected horses.

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“In this instance, all three horses were sent for postmortem examination and the results have confirmed that both Bangers And Cash and Abuffalosoldier suffered from separate varieties of cardiovascular collapse, which is a form of Exercise Associated Sudden Death (EASD).

“Napper Tandy fractured a vertebra in his neck following a fall, with no other abnormalities identified.

“No causal link could be identified and as it stands, none of the fatalities could have been predicted or prevented prior to the race.

“As with humans, EASD can occur in young, fit and otherwise apparently healthy horses of all breeds. Incidents of EASD are, however, infrequent in races, with an overall rate of 0.04 per cent of runners (four in every 10,000) resulting in this outcome. In jump racing specifically the rate is 0.09 per cent, or nine in every 10,000 runners.”