Horse Racing: Miros dies on gallops

Disaster struck Jonjo O’Neill today when his leading Cheltenham hope Miros dropped dead on the gallops.

The trainer had been giving his ex-German gelding a workout in preparation for an intended final Festival warm-up race at Kempton on Friday when the tragedy occurred.

‘‘He was out at exercise and had done one canter,’’ O’Neill said. "He was walking back to do a second canter and he dropped dead.

‘‘He was a grand horse and had never had a vet to him in his life.’’

Miros had been 4-1 second favourite for the Gerrard Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with Coral.

A four-time winner on the Flat in Germany and Holland last year, he joined O’Neill in the summer and had won each of his last three starts over hurdles.

The five-year-old had looked one of the season’s best novices when romping to an 11-length win in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Warwick last month.