Three-time World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever has been put down after suffering from a fatal bout of colic.
Tough hurdler suffers fatal colic at retirement venue
Three-time World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever has been put down after suffering from a fatal bout of colic.
The 10-year-old, trained by Howard Johnson and owned by Graham Wylie, created history at the Cheltenham Festival last March when he became the first horse to win the World Hurdle three times.
After being retired from racing in January, Inglis Drever had been at Wylie's Chesters Stud at Humshaugh, Hexham, but was put down after an operation failed to get him back on his feet.
"They took him away yesterday and from what I can understand they couldn't do anything with him," said Johnson.
"Graham (Wylie, owner) rung me yesterday morning to say he was thrashing on the ground so they got the vets up there to look at him and they rushed him straight in (for surgery).
"They put him on a drip overnight and they rang Mr Wylie back this morning to say his heart rate was over 70 and it should 33, so they have had to put him down on humane grounds."
Flat conversion
Johnson bought Inglis Drever from Sir Mark Prescott's yard after he won four times on the Flat, but he went on to achieve greatness as a tough dependable hurdler.
"Without a doubt he'd be number one when it comes to horses I've trained," Johnson added.
"He went to Graham's for a good retirement and I haven't actually seen him since he left. It is just one of those things.
"He's been my pride and joy since I bought him five years ago off Sir Mark Prescott. I will never get another horse to replace him. He's been very good to me. It's very sad. He was the flag-bearer.
"He's been a fantastic servant to me and the yard and has kept me going since we bought him off Sir Mark."
As well as his Cheltenham heroics, Inglis Drever won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury three times in addition to big-race triumphs at Sandown, Warwick, Wincanton, Haydock and Wetherby.
Talented
"He won three World Hurdles and was the first horse to win the Order of Merit," Johnson continued. "You could always tell when he was right and he was a peach to train.
"He wouldn't hurt a butterfly and you always knew he would come up hills because as soon as he saw our hills at home he used to fly.
"It's very upsetting and I've said to Mr Wylie that we'll get him cremated and get him back into what I call the 'Millionaire's Field' in front of our house.
"He used to love it in there, and spent his summers in there every year since he arrived, so I think we should bury his ashes in there."
The brilliant gelding signed off with 17 wins - 12 of which came at Graded level - from 35 starts and amassed nearly £800,000 in prize-money.
Plans for Inglis Drever to return to Cheltenham this March were scrapped after he failed to recover from an injury sustained at Newbury last November.
