Racing:Three-time World Hurdle hero Inglis Drever has died. The Howard Johnson-trained 10-year-old, who retired from racing in January, was put down this morning after suffering a fatal bout of colic.
“They took him away yesterday and from what I can understand they couldn’t do anything with him,” Johnson said.
“Graham (Wylie, owner) rung me yesterday morning to say he was thrashing on the ground so they got the vets up there to look at him and they rushed him straight in (for surgery).
“They put him on a drip overnight and they rang Mr Wylie back this morning to say his heart rate was over 70 and it should 33, so they have had to put him down on humane grounds.”
Inglis Drever had been spending his retirement at Wylie’s Chesters Stud at Humshaugh, Hexham
“Without a doubt he’d be number one when it comes to horses I’ve trained,” added Johnson.
“He went to Graham’s for a good retirement and I haven’t actually seen him since he left. It is just one of those things.”
Inglis Drever made history at the Cheltenham Festival last March when he became the first horse to win the World Hurdle three times.
His indomitable spirit and appetite for a scrap made him one of the most popular National Hunt horses in training.
The brilliant gelding signed off with 17 wins - 12 of which came at Graded level - from 35 starts and amassed nearly €880,000 in prize-money.
Plans for Inglis Drever to return to Cheltenham this March were scrapped after he failed to recover from an injury sustained at Newbury last November.