Wonderhorse tragically put down following routine operation

I´m Thunderstruck sadly put down/Shutterstock Images

The racing world is mourning the death of an equine icon after £4.5million wonderhorse I’m Thunderstuck was put down following a routine operation.

The passing of the five-year-old multiple Group 1-winning gelding left co-trainer Michael Kent Jr ‘in tears all night’.

I’m Thunderstruck was reported to have injured himself after waking up from an op and putting weight on his knee.

That pressure caused multiple fractures and, tragically, meant vets had little choice but to humanely end the horse´s life.

It was described as a ‘simple procedure that went horribly wrong’.

Kent Jr said: “He pulled up sound after his last start and, as we do with all our good horses, we said, ‘let’s have a look at him before he goes’.

“He trotted up sound but there was a tiny bit of warmth in one fetlock.

“We X-rayed it and found the tiniest fleck of bone there. It could stay there, but the best thing for the horse was to take it out.

“Unfortunately… the vet said there is a 0.02 per cent chance of what happened happening. It never does. It’s just awful.”

OTI Racing boss Terry Henderson, part of the group that owns the horse, said: “He’s clearly got up and in some way or another done damage to the knee, which caused the problem.

“We had no choice then but to euthanise the horse.”

I’m Thunderstruck won four of his 19 races and brought in more than £4.5m in earnings.

His biggest victory was the Group 1 Makybe Stakes at Flemington racecourse in Australia last September, with a prize worth £323,709.

Speaking of the devastating loss, Kent Jr said: “My fiancee Ally and I have been in tears all night.

“We always said we’d love to have him back at our farm when he was finished and we’ll still keep that promise.

“If the owners are OK, we’ll find a nice spot to bury him.”

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