Desert Crown, who memorably won the 2022 Derby, has been put down after failing to recover from a serious fetlock injury he sustained on gallops in Newmarket in August.

The four-year-old, who won three of his four starts, was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, owned by Saeed Suhail and bred by Strawberry Fields Stud. He picked up the injury while preparing for a tilt at winning the Group One Juddmonte International at York, but was believed to be on the road to recovery. But he was put down at Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH) on Monday afternoon (23 October) after surgeons there concluded there was no more they could do to save him.

Saeed Suhail’s racing manager Bruce Raymond told the Racing Post: “Desert Crown was a great horse and was destined to be one of the best if he hadn’t had this injury. He was one of the easiest winners of the Derby I can remember, and it’s a great shame we’ve lost him.”

Mr Raymond said Desert Crown fractured his off fore and had 16 screws inserted, but although “everything seemed to be going well”, the injury put too much pressure on his near fore.

“He was put down humanely at NEH, where the surgeons have been outstanding,” he said.

Desert Crown, out of Green Desert mare Desert Berry and by Nathaniel, whose progeny include the great Enable, won his debut at Nottingham in November 2021, his sole start as a two-year-old, and impressed in a stylish Dante victory at York in May 2022. His last run was in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown in May, where he finished second to Hukum. He won £1,031,201 in his four-race career, such was the quality of races he was competing in.

Desert Crown’s Derby victory was an impressive one – he was eased down to win by two and a half lengths under Richard Kingscote, for whom it was a first Derby triumph.

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The King recorded his first winner as monarch with Just Fine producing a comfortable victory under jockey Ryan Moore at Leicester today (4 October).

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old pulled clear of his rivals at the furlong pole, widening the gap in the closing stages. He crossed the finish line four and a half lengths ahead of 9/4 favourite Sea The Casper in the 3.10pm 1m2f Kube – Leicester’s Premier Event Hire Venue handicap, making history as the first winner for His Majesty since he became King.

This was the third win for Just Fine, who had a starting price of 100/30, and his first since July 2021.

The Sea The Stars son, out of Kingmambo mare Bint Almatar, was bred by Godolphin and is in his third season in training.

Weatherbys confirmed to H&H last week that the ownership of all The Queen’s racehorses had been transferred to The King.

“All horses in training previously owned by Her Majesty The Queen have been transferred to His Majesty King Charles III, and will race in the name of The King, wearing the colours previously registered to The Queen, specifically purple, gold braid, scarlet sleeves, black velvet cap and gold fringe,” said the Weatherbys spokesperson.

The King’s first runner as monarch was Educator, a three-year-old colt bred by The Queen and trained by William Haggas, who finished second at Salisbury piloted by Tom Marquand on 29 September.

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The Queen’s racehorses transferred to The King with first to run tomorrow

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Seven racehorses — including The Queen’s Royal Ascot runner Estimate — have been disqualified from races after testing positive for morphine and oripavine.

Five-year-old mare Estimate tested positive following this year’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot where she was runner up — a race she won in 2013 for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.

After a British Horseracing Authority hearing today (Thursday 25 September), she also been stripped of her £80,625 prize money for finishing second in the 2014 race.

However, as the seven positive tests are believed to have been caused by contaminated feed no action is to be taken against the horses’ trainers.

At the hearing the BHA was “satisfied all reasonable precautions” had been taken to avoid any breach of the Rules.

All horses had been fed Alfalfa Oil Plus, manufactured by Dodson & Horrell.

The product was identified as the source of the morphine, and the company confirmed that a component product used in the production of it had been contaminated by poppy seeds, which are naturally occurring sources of morphine and oripavine.

Morphine is listed by the BHA as a “naturally occurring substance”, which is permitted out of competition but banned on racedays.

Although no penalty was imposed on trainers, the BHA concluded the horses must still be disqualified.

“The administration of the substance was accidental and no fault of those connected to the horse but, while it is unfortunate for those involved, no other approach would be acceptable when the cornerstone of our policy is ensuring a level playing field for all participants,” said Jamie Stier, BHA director of raceday operations and regulation.

“Instances of feed batches becoming contaminated are, thankfully, very rare. It has been an unfortunate situation for those involved, especially the connections of all the horses affected.”

The other racehorses were Royal Alcor, trained by Gay Kelleway, who won at Yarmouth on 26 June, Soul Intent who won at Epsom on 3 July and Jolly Red Jeanz who won at Chester on 12 July, both trained by Barry Hills; Charlie Hills’ Strath Burn who won at Newbury on 3 July and Tony Carroll’s Ocean Legend who won at Brighton on 24 June.

Estimate’s stablemate Russian Realm, who was unplaced in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, was also disqualified.

It is not yet known if trainers will seek compensation.

A spokesman for Dodson & Horrell said the company “co-operated fully with this investigation”.

“The hearing decided that as the circumstances surrounding the positives were very similar and there was a common factor in the use of Alfalfa Oil Plus, that in their opinion, the most likely source of the contamination was from this product,” read a statement.

“Dodson & Horrell cannot comment on any aspects of the third party supplier’s business and any compensation issues are in the hands of their insurers.”

A separate hearing is to be held on 16 October for Eve Johnson Houghton, who also had a runner test positive, but it had not been fed Alfalfa Oil Plus.

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A runaway racehorse shocked onlookers in Newmarket earlier this week when it escaped onto the High Street.

The police were called at 11.20am on Monday (14 June) as the horse galloped down the road before being caught outside Innocence nightclub.

“We were told there was a loose horse running up the High Street towards the Cambridge end with a jockey in pursuit,” a police spokesman told H&H.

“We didn’t have much involvement though as it was handled quickly by stablelads.”

Police said the horse is in training with Sir Michael Stoute but a spokesman from the yard declined to comment nor name the horse.

Onlooker Nicola Rayner told local press: “It was going like a bat out of hell straight down the High Street.”

“It was lucky it didn’t hit anyone or injure itself, it’s not something that you see every day.”

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A man who threatened to kill a Group One winning racehorse after forgetting to put a bet on it has been given a suspended jail sentence and 240 hours of unpaid work.

Twenty-six-year-old Andrew Rodgerson of Craiglands, Balderstone, appeared before Bolton Crown Court on Monday (4 January) after sending threats to the owners of Conduit.

His own barrister described his actions as “desperately stupid”.

Last summer Mr Rodgerson sent a series of texts and emails to Conduit’s owners, Ballymacoll Stud, saying if the horse ran in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, the horse would die.

He was handed a 34-week prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 240 hours unpaid work.

Mr Rodgerson sent the threats after forgetting to place an accumulator bet that would have won £55,000 for the syndicate he worked for.

He send a text to Peter Reynolds, managing director of Ballymacoll ten days before the race stating: “Dear Peter, we would just like to warn you, should Conduit run in the King George, then the horse will be killed.”

He followed this with an email: “Dear Peter, I don’t believe you are taking the threat of death to Conduit very seriously. We want the horse removed from the King George this weekend. If you co-operate, the horse will live. There are people living in and around Newmarket who are ready and willing. There will also be people around at Ascot on Saturday.”

But he was arrested two days before the race. He pleaded guilty to the threats at a hearing at the end of November.

Increased security was provided to Conduit on his way to Ascot and also at the track.

“The syndicate would tell him when and where to put money on and get the best odds. This was a clever series of bets and it required quite precise timing because the odds changed so rapidly,” said Joseph Hart, Mr Rodgerson’s barrister at the hearing.

“He forgot and realised if Conduit won he would owe this syndicate more than 50,000 pounds. He was utterly terrified with the consequences of not paying the money back.

“These were powerful men. He thought perhaps they would be people who would hurt him. So initially he lied to them that someone had taken the betting slip but then the syndicate said they would find him.

“The panic continued and he committed this frankly unsophisticated and deeply stupid crime.”

Judge Angela Nield said he had embarked on a “foolish escapade” and that his actions could have had a serious impact on the horseracing industry.

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A man has pleaded guilty after being charged with blackmail in connection with a Group One winning racehorse.

Twenty-six-year-old Andrew Rodgerson appeared before Bolton Crown Court yesterday (Monday 30 November) and pleaded guilty to blackmail in connection to alleged death threats against Conduit, trained by Sir Michael Stoute.

Four-year-old Conduit, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf and St Leger last year, was allegedly the subject of text message and email threats from a blackmailer.

Peter Reynolds, general manager of Ballymacoll Stud, who own Conduit, is said to have received messages threatening to kill the horse if it ran in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.

The son of Dalakhani travelled to the racecourse and was stabled with increased security. He went on to win the race under jockey Ryan Moore.

Mr Rodgerson is due to be sentenced on 4 January.

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A man has been arrested in connection to death threats made against Group One winning Flat racehorse Conduit.

Conduit, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf and St Leger last year, was allegedly the subject of text message and email threats from a blackmailer.

Peter Reynolds, general manager of Ballymacoll Stud, who own Conduit, is said to have received messages threatening to kill the horse if it ran in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July..

“I can confirm that a threat was made to me and the matter was placed in the hands of the police,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

The four-year-old son of Dalakhani won the race ridden by Ryan Moore.

Mr Reynolds contacted the police, and the horse’s trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, worked with integrity department of British Horseracing Authority to ensure the safety of the racehorse.

Conduit was given extra security on his journey to Ascot and while he was stabled at the course.

Andrew Rodgerson, 26, was arrested and charged with blackmail and is due to appear in Bolton Crown Court on 1 Decembe.

“This charge relates to an incident in which a racehorse owner received threats before a race at the end of July,” said a spokesman for Greater Manchester police.

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