Oaks-winning racehorse Snowfall put down age four after stable injury

Epsom Oaks 2021 winning racehorse Snowfall, ridden by Frankie Dettori, has been put down after an injury — EPSOM, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: Frankie Dettori celebrates after riding Snowfall to win The Cazoo Oaks by sixteen lengths at Epsom Racecourse on June 04, 2021 in Epsom, England. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic only owners along with a limited number of the paying public will be allowed to attend the meeting. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Superstar Flat racehorse Snowfall has been put down after she sustained an injury in her stable at home in Ballydoyle, Ireland.

The four-year-old filly clocked up a remarkable three Oaks victories during her career, earning her connections £885,696 in prize money. She was owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier and Michael Tabor and most memorably won the 2021 Epsom Oaks by 16 lengths under Frankie Dettori, which was a record-breaking winning margin.

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Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.

‘A massive loss to everyone here’: Top racehorse put down after stable injury

“She damaged her pelvis. She was fed at lunchtime by one of the lads and when he went back to her an hour later she was lame in the box. Our vet John Halley thinks that she did the splits in the box and injured her pelvis, but obviously we don’t know exactly how it happened.

“We did everything we could for her but it wasn’t to be. She is a massive loss to everyone here, from a racing and breeding perspective – she was such a high-class mare.”

Snowfall went on to win the Curragh and York Oaks equivalents and she finished sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before running her final race when third in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October.

Racehorse Snowfall was bred in the purple; by Deep Impact, out of a Galileo mare called Best In The World, who is a sister of Found. Found clocked over £5m in prize money for the same connections as Snowball, including winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2016, plus the 2015 Breeders’ Cup.

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