Cartier Horse of the Year and four-time Group 1 winner Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy-Vionnet, by Street Sense), who raced for Qatar Racing, was euthanised in New Zealand on Friday evening after another bout of colic, Tweenhills Stud announced. The 4-year-old, who had shuttled from Tweenhills to Cambridge Stud in New Zealand to stand his first Southern Hemisphere season, was on the mend at Cambridge Stud after a second colic surgery performed earlier this month. Originally the $160,000 KEESEP yearling had exhibited signs of discomfort immediately after leaving quarantine and had undergone his first colic operation in late July. Bred by Ran Jan Racing in Kentucky, he stood his only Northern Hemisphere season for L40,000.
Tweenhills Stud's David Redvers said, “At approximately midday (GMT)/23:00 NZ today Roaring Lion was observed to be uncomfortable in his stable at Cambridge Stud. On examination by stud vet Rob Hitchcock, Roaring Lion was admitted to Cambridge Equine hospital. There operating surgeons Dr. Alanna Zantingh and Dr. Greg Quinn performed ultrasound examination and at 14:45 (GMT) the decision was made on welfare grounds to put Roaring Lion to sleep.”
The first foal out of his late dam, who ran third in the GI Rodeo Drive S. Stateside, Roaring Lion saluted the judge in a quartet of Group 1s-the Queen Elizabeth II S., Juddmonte International S., Coral Eclipse S. and QIPCO Irish Champion S., as well as the G2 Dante S. and G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. The 2018 G1 Investec Derby third was also second in the G1 Racing Post Trophy S. for John Gosden and won eight of his 13 starts for earnings of $3,575,197 en route to being named the European, English and Irish highweight 3-year-old at 9 1/2-11f last term.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani added via Twitter, “I am obviously distraught about Roaring Lion, he was so brave right to the end. He was a horse of a lifetime in all his characteristics. I would like to thank everyone at the Cambridge Equine hospital and Cambridge Stud for all their efforts and professionalism to the end.”
A grandson of U.S. MGSW Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags), his dam was a half to GSWs Moulin de Mougin (Curlin) and Schiaparelli (Ghostzapper), MSW Alexis Tangier (Tiznow) and SW Bronson (Medaglia d'Oro).
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