HMS Seahorse, a horse at the Cheltenham Festival, tragically passed away due to a fatal injury during the third race on Wednesday. ITV announced the sad news after the horse fell at the final hurdle in the 2.40 pm BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle. Despite immediate attention from veterinary professionals, the eight-year-old horse could not be saved.
This marks the second horse fatality at the Festival, following the unfortunate death of Hansard in the second race on day one. ITV host Ed Chamberlin shared the news, reading a statement from Cheltenham expressing condolences to the connections of HMS Seahorse.
The racing industry, including The Jockey Club, which manages prominent racecourses like Cheltenham and Aintree, continually strives to minimize risks associated with horse racing. Significant investments in equine welfare, totaling over £63 million since 2000, have been made in areas such as veterinary science, education, and research.
Notably, the rate of fallers in horse races has decreased over the past 21 years, now standing at just 1.98% of runners. In 2025, the fatal injury rate was only 0.22% out of 86,300 runners. Various safety measures have been implemented, such as changing jump markers from orange to white based on equine vision research, using padded hurdles to reduce fallers by 11%, and conducting detailed reviews within 48 hours of any racecourse fatality.
Collaboration with leading welfare organizations like World Horse Welfare, RSPCA, and Blue Cross ensures that the racing industry upholds the highest standards of horse welfare. Public perception of horse welfare has been positively influenced by visits to various equine facilities, with over 80% of visitors reporting a change in their perceptions.
National Racehorse Week, held from August 22nd to 31st, offers sixty-five thousand free visits to centers, allowing the public to engage with racehorses and learn more about their care. With a staggering five million attendees in 2025, horse racing remains the second most attended sport in the UK, following football.
