GOLD CUP king Galopin Des Champs has died aged ten – just days after retiring.
Willie Mullins and owners the Turley family praised their ‘horse of a lifetime’ just last Friday after his awesome career came to an end.
Two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs has died aged ten just days after being retired Credit: Getty
Galopin Des Champs was an absolute monster of a horse but a big softie with the crowds, who adored him everywhere he went Credit: Sportsfile
Sadly he never got to live out much of the post-racing life he so richly deserved after suffering an injury this morning.
Galopin Des Champs won two Gold Cups while being trained by Mullins and the biggest trainer in the sport regarded him as one of the very best to ever come from Closutton.
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His shock death comes at a time when punters are starting to look forward to the return of the jumps – and casts a huge shadow as an entire sport comes to terms with his passing.
A statement from Ruby Walsh read: “Sadly Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved.
“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.”
More to follow.
