Following an investigation, electrocution has been deemed the cause of death for Fenix Two and Marching Song.
In a freak accident, the two horses collapsed and died last Saturday in the Paddock at Newbury. A post-mortem was conducted and the results were as suspected.
“The authority has been officially informed that there was leakage of electricity from a cable under the parade ring in the area where the incident occurred,” said Professor Tim Morris of the British Horseracing Authority.
“There was immediate veterinary attention, and our inquiry on the day noted the racecourse veterinary surgeons felt a tingling sensation when examining the horses, and that the veterinary surgeons noted particular clinical signs such as muscle contractions.
“Both horses that died, Marching Song and Fenix Two, have undergone post-mortem examinations which showed sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
“Samples taken from the horses affected have shown no evidence of substances that could have caused this incident.
“These findings are all consistent with the cause of death being accidental electrocution and at this stage we are not investigating any other cause of death.
“I can also confirm that, contrary to speculation, no evidence of any burn marks around the mouth was found on post-mortem examination, neither were such marks found by the veterinary surgeons on the horses at the start.”
The Parade ring at Newbury has since been declared safe for horses and humans, as the cable previously located within it has been removed.
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