There is no link between the deaths of four horses during a race at Newton Abbot, according to a preliminary investigation by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
The four animals were all fatally injured during a gathering on Tuesday, June 25.
Hallowed Rose fell and Bala Brook was retired in the same handicap hurdle race, while Cuzzicombe and Happy Helen were retired in other hurdle races.
The seven-race race was held on terrain that was officially good, in places good to firm.
An extensive investigation by the BHA’s Fatality Review Group is still ongoing.
“The BHA’s Racecourse and Facilities Manager is satisfied that there were no issues with the racing surface or other facilities on the course that caused these incidents,” the BHA said in a statement.
“This followed an inspection of the conditions at Newton Abbot and a thorough review of the maintenance records of the circuit’s racing surface.
“While the individual horse deaths are still being investigated, it has been determined that each injury occurred under unique circumstances and there does not appear to be an external factor linking them.”
Newton Abbot previously had a good safety record, with three fatalities out of 1,524 runners between 2022 and 2023. That’s about half the national average for show jumping events.
The next meeting at the Devon course is on Friday.
