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16 Oct 11
13:22
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06 Jun 09
Mille Chief dies after breaking leg on gallops
By James Burn 8:18AM 16 OCT 2011 SMART hurdler Mille Chief was put down on Saturday morning after breaking a hind leg on the gallops.
The French-bred five-year-old, who raced in the colours of Max McNeill and his family, won four of his nine starts since coming to Britain in 2009 and was thought of as live Triumph Hurdle contender for the following year until he was forced to miss the Cheltenham Festival through injury.
Alan King: "Everyone at the yard thought the world of Mille Chief"
PICTURE: David Dew
He returned from that setback last season, winning the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle before finishing last of 11 in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
His last run came when he was pulled-up at Ayr in April and trainer Alan King described the loss as a "cruel blow."
He said: "It was just a routine piece of exercise and sadly Mille Chief broke a hind leg, which left us all numb with shock.
"Everyone at theyard thought the world of Mille Chief and all our sympathies go out to Max McNeill and his family.
"Mille Chief was always such an exceptional worker at home, and he had so much speed that it was difficult to find something to gowith him on the gallops."
Quoted on his website, King added: "We had great hopes that he might give us another Triumph Hurdle success, but unfortunately he got injured in February of that season and never made Cheltenham.
"But we got him back last season and he won the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and we still had faith that he might yet make it to the top as a hurdler this season, so this has come as a cruel blow."
Mille Chief, who won six of 14 starts in total and £78,795 in prize-money, had been as short as 33-1 for this season's Champion Hurdle.
By James Burn 8:18AM 16 OCT 2011 SMART hurdler Mille Chief was put down on Saturday morning after breaking a hind leg on the gallops.
The French-bred five-year-old, who raced in the colours of Max McNeill and his family, won four of his nine starts since coming to Britain in 2009 and was thought of as live Triumph Hurdle contender for the following year until he was forced to miss the Cheltenham Festival through injury.
Alan King: "Everyone at the yard thought the world of Mille Chief"
PICTURE: David Dew
He returned from that setback last season, winning the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle before finishing last of 11 in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
His last run came when he was pulled-up at Ayr in April and trainer Alan King described the loss as a "cruel blow."
He said: "It was just a routine piece of exercise and sadly Mille Chief broke a hind leg, which left us all numb with shock.
"Everyone at theyard thought the world of Mille Chief and all our sympathies go out to Max McNeill and his family.
"Mille Chief was always such an exceptional worker at home, and he had so much speed that it was difficult to find something to gowith him on the gallops."
Quoted on his website, King added: "We had great hopes that he might give us another Triumph Hurdle success, but unfortunately he got injured in February of that season and never made Cheltenham.
"But we got him back last season and he won the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and we still had faith that he might yet make it to the top as a hurdler this season, so this has come as a cruel blow."
Mille Chief, who won six of 14 starts in total and £78,795 in prize-money, had been as short as 33-1 for this season's Champion Hurdle.
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