A feelgood racing history turned very bitter on Tuesday evening when it was announced that the dual-Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs has had to be euthanised less than a week after being retired.
The Willie Mullins-trained star, perhaps the best staying steeplechaser since Kauto Star, died from injuries sustained in an accident in his field this morning.
Owned by Greg and Audrey Turley, ‘Galopin’ was given to former champion jockey Ruby Walsh to be retrained by his daughter Isabelle with a potential new eventing career in mind.
However, Walsh revealed today that the 10-year-old gelding had suffered an injury to his near front leg which vets concluded was unrepairable.
“Sadly, Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved,” Walsh said in a statement to Racing TV.
“He was checked a few times throughout the morning but late in the morning when I went to get him for exercise I found him with a severe injury, high up on his near front leg.
“He was attended to by our vets immediately, but X-rays revealed extensive unrepairable damage.
“He was a fabulous racehorse whose short time with us has left lots of broken hearts but none more so than those of Greg, Audrey and Sarah Turley and Adam Connolly who looked after him for so long. He will be sadly missed,” he added.
Galopin Des Champs won a dozen Grade One races during his stellar career including a hat-trick in the Irish Gold Cup around his old stomping ground in Leopardstown. He won 15 of his 26 races in all.