Coolmore confirm Mozart death

Last season’s champion sprinter Mozart died early this morning Coolmore have confirmed.

The four-year-old son of Danehill, who was standing his first season at the Coolmore Stud, died from a non-responsive acute colitis.

Mozart, who was trained by Aidan O’Brien, finished second in the Entenmann’s Irish 2000 Guineas last campaign, cutting out all the early running and leading until stablemate Black Minnaloushe collared him in the final furlong.

After that outing he was dropped back in trip to seven furlongs to take the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot before tackling six furlongs in the Group One July Cup at Newmarket where he easily accounted for a good quality field.

Mozart then followed up that victory with an impressive win in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, where jockey Michael Kinane defied a slipping saddle to guide him to a comfortable two-length win.

He rounded off his racing career with a disappointing 11th place behind Squirtle Squirt in what was always going to be a challenging task in the Breeders Cup Sprint at Belmont Park.