MULLINS MOURNING AS VAUTOUR IS PUT DOWN

VAUTOUR, one of jump racing’s most talented performers and a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, has been put down after fracturing a leg in a freak accident.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old was found with a broken foreleg in his paddock.

Mullins said: ‘It’s been a lovely, dry day and Vautour was out in the paddock with his usual companion Shaneshill. One of the girls went out to feed him.

‘There didn’t appear to be anything untoward but Vautour was found to have broken his foreleg.

‘He goes out there every day and it’s just a freak accident. It’s tough to take.’

Vautour, who was owned by Rich Ricci, won 10 of his 16 starts. They included the 2014 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 2013 JLT Novices’ Chase and last season’s Ryanair Chase.

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien has paid tribute to his longstanding jockey Seamus Heffernan and refused to rule out throwing Highland Reel into the richest race in the world next year after the pair struck Breeders’ Cup gold in the £3.2million Turf at Santa Anita.

Trainer O’Brien said the colt’s versatility meant it would be foolish to rule him out of the inaugural £9.6m Pegasus World Cup, run on dirt in Florida in January, where his rivals would include Arrogate and California Chrome, one-two in a dramatic Breeders’ Cup Classic.

O’Brien said: ‘He has never raced on the dirt but he is the type of horse who you couldn’t rule out doing anything. He loves racing and is a total pro.’

For Heffernan, 44, a rider who has been long-time understudy for O’Brien, victory at Santa Anita was a fourth Group One win of the season.

O’Brien said: ‘There is nobody more loyal than Seamus. He is a master of his craft and really deserves this.’