Awesome debut winner suffers fatal injury

There was heartbreak for connections of Aca Awesome following her debut win in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Median Auction Maiden Naas today, as the filly suffered a fatal leg injury having passed the winning line.

Ridden by Chris Hayes the daughter of Makfi showed a professional attitude when recording a game half length win over Brontide but sadly suffered a fracture to a pastern and was subsequently put down.

Aca Awesome was trained by Andy Oliver for his wife Saffron Oliver and, on today's evidence, appeared to have a very bright future.

Oliver was understandably gutted but did later comment "she was very good and I thought she could be a stakes filly. She wanted good ground and won well but it was just a freak accident. She broke her pastern - it always happens to the good ones."

The winner was returned outsider of the five runners at 14/1.

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee