Double blow for Willie Mullins with deaths of Vautour and Avant Tout
Three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Vautour had to be been put down after breaking his leg in a freak accident.
The seven-year-old won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2014 and the JLT Novices’ Chase 12 months later before running out a dominant winner of the Ryanair Chase on his return to Prestbury Park last March.
Mullins said: “It’s been a lovely, dry day here 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 as Shaneshill was grazing away, 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 won 10 of his 16 starts overall, including five Grade Ones, and was last seen finishing second at the Boylesports Champion Chase at Punchestown in April.
Avant Tout meanwhile was fatally injured after pulling up in the Brady’s Family Ham Supporting Kildare GAA Poplar Square Chase at Naas.
The six-year-old, a winner at the Punchestown Festival for the last two years, was a leading contender for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury and was having a prep run for the showpiece event in three weeks’ time in this two-mile contest.
However, he jumped awkwardly at the first fence and was swiftly pulled up by Paul Townend.
Steve Massey, racing manager for owners the Supreme Horse Racing Club, said: “We are devastated to say Avant Tout suffered a fatal injury.
“It is hard to take and thoughts are with his owners and Rachel who looked after him.”
