Saint Le Fort died after falling at the final hurdle of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. He is the fourth horse to die at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival after Hansard on day one, HMS Seahorse on day two and Envoi Allen following Friday’s Gold Cup.
A spokesperson for Cheltenham Racecourse said: “Saint Le Fort was immediately attended to by a team of expert veterinary professionals during our seventh race of the day, but sadly sustained an injury when falling at the final hurdle. In their assessment, it was concluded that the best course of action for the horse’s welfare was for him to be humanely euthanised. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.”
The British Horseracing Authority’s Director of Equine Regulation Safety and Welfare James Given said: “We are all devastated about the fatal injuries this week and our thoughts are with everyone connected with the horses.”
The Jockey Club – organisers of the Cheltenham Festival – says it works continuously to minimise the risks at its events and says the industry has spent £63m on equine welfare since 2000.
The Jockey Club says data shows the rate of fallers in horse races has declined in all of the last 21 years and is now just 1.98% of runners. The fatal injury rate in 2025 was just 0.22% of 86,300 runners, according to its figures.
It stated that recent improvements include changing of markers on jumps on all racecourses from orange to white, following research into equine vision; a change to padded hurdles to reduce fallers; and the introduction of a detailed review process within 48 hours of every fatality on a racecourse. The Jockey Club said that the racing industry regularly consults with established welfare organisations such as World Horse Welfare, RSPCA and Blue Cross to ensure it continually meets the highest standards.