Another horse, HMS Seahorse, tragically passed away due to a fatal injury during the third race at the Cheltenham Festival. The eight-year-old horse, trained by Paul Nolan, fell at the final hurdle in the 2.40pm BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle and despite immediate veterinary attention, could not be saved.

This marks the second horse fatality at the Festival, with the first being Hansard who died after a fall in the second race on the first day. ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin confirmed the sad news as a statement was read out from Cheltenham expressing condolences to the connections of HMS Seahorse.

The racing industry, including The Jockey Club, which manages major racecourses like Cheltenham and Aintree, continually strives to minimize risks associated with horse racing. Significant investments, totaling over £63 million since 2000, have been made in equine welfare, veterinary science, education, and research.

The industry has seen a decline in the rate of fallers in horse races over the past two decades, with just 1.98% of runners experiencing falls. The fatality rate in 2025 stood at 0.22% out of 86,300 runners. Various measures have been implemented to enhance safety, such as changing jump markers to white, introducing padded hurdles to reduce fallers, and conducting detailed reviews following any fatalities on the racecourse.

Collaboration with welfare organizations like World Horse Welfare, RSPCA, and Blue Cross ensures that the racing sector upholds the highest standards of animal care. National Racehorse Week, offering free visits to centers, aims to educate the public on horse welfare. Additionally, horse racing remains a popular sport in the UK, attracting five million attendees in 2025, making it the second most attended sport after football.