Cheltenham fatality update | British Horseracing Authority

Following the tragic events at Cheltenham Racecourse on Sunday, which resulted in the loss of three horses – Bangers And Cash, Abuffaloldier and Napper Tandy – the BHA is reviewing each of these incidents as part of its fatality assessment process.

Every death is checked based on this protocol. This includes gathering information from track staff, jockeys, trainers, the trainer’s veterinarian, along with appropriate medication and training documentation. This data is then collated, analyzed and reviewed by a panel of industry experts.

More details on fatality review protocols can be found on the website HorsePWR website.

As described in this article, in cases where multiple fatalities occur on a given day, enhanced protocols are often implemented that include an assessment of the incidents to determine whether any causal relationship can be assigned. This process may include post-mortem examination of affected horses.

In this case, all three horses were sent for necropsy, and the results confirmed that both Bangers And Cash and Abuffaloldier were suffering from variations of cardiovascular collapse, a form of exercise-related sudden death (EASD).

Napper Tandy fractured a cervical vertebra after falling and did not find any other abnormalities.

No causal link could be established and, at this stage, no fatalities could be predicted or prevented prior to the race.

As in humans, EASD can occur in young, fit and otherwise apparently healthy horses of all breeds. However, cases of EASD are rare in racing, with an overall rate of 0.04% of runners (four in 10,000). In jump racing specifically, the rate is 0.09%, or nine out of 10,000 runners.

The most commonly identified cause of EASD is cardiopulmonary distress (i.e. cardiac arrest), but rupture of large vessels and damage to the central nervous system may also occur.

Since 2000, British racing has invested £56 million in improving equine health, science and veterinary research. One of the projects funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is the development of an artificial intelligence-based test to identify horses at risk of developing irregular heart rhythms, working with veterinary specialist Celia Marr, the University of Surrey’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and other partners in the UK and abroad. This project is nearing completion and the results are expected to be presented to the sport in the near future.

The BHA is also supporting a newer project led by Professor Cristobal Navas de Solis and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania to investigate the causes of sudden death in racehorses.

More information on wellbeing in racing can be found on the website www.horsepwr.co.uk