Former National winner Many Clouds dies after race

By Metro Posted on January 28, 2017

LONDON (Reuters) – Former Grand National winner Many Clouds collapsed and died after winning a race at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The 10-year-old horse crossed the line first in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day but collapsed shortly afterwards and was pronounced dead by veterinary staff.

Many Clouds, owned by Trevor Hemmings, won the 2015 Grand National and Gold Cup trial and the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2014.

Trainer Oliver Sherwood paid tribute to the horse whose death was met by stunned silence at the course.

“I always said he’d die for you, and he has today, doing what he loved most,” Sherwood was quoted as saying by the BBC.

“He wanted to win that race, by God he wanted to win it — he was beat at the last and he fought the last 50 yards to get up and win. I’ve trained for 32 years now and horses like that don’t come along very often.”

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Clare Fallon)