Electrocution Suspected in Deaths at Newbury

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Two horses have collapsed and died under mysterious circumstances before a race at Newbury Racecourse in England, with electrocution suspected as the cause.

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Fenix Two, said he noticed the horse in front of his, Kid Cassidy, go down on its knees before his horse was struck.

"Mine reared up and we couldn't get him back, it was like he was stuck to the ground," O'Neill said. "It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Some workers reported receiving shocks from the horses as they unsaddled them.

"It's a nightmare for everybody. We can't be certain what it is, we all think it's electric, but we don't know," Newbury chairman Christopher Spence said. "We've looked at the cables and we couldn't see any damage and no work has been carried out on the paddock since the last meeting."

There were claims that a lead rein on one of the dead horses looked burned.

"One of the reasons we couldn't continue was because of all the speculation,'' steward Paul Barton said. "The lead rein could have snapped if it was stood on by another horse when it was on the ground. The rein will go away for forensic examination to establish what happened to it."

The BHA also plans to test a sample of the water supply and review all the CCTV from the racecourse stables and parade ring.

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