Sea of Class Euthanized

Arc runner-up and MG1SW Sea of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}-Holy Moon {Ire}, by Hernando {Fr}) was euthanized after developing complications following colic surgery on Monday, Racing Post reported. The chestnut, who carried the same Sunderland Holdings silks as her sire to victory in both the G1 Darley Irish Oaks and the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, was only four. She underwent colic surgery in early July.

“The reason for colic surgery on Sea Of Class in the first place was to remove an abdominal mass sitting between the spleen and liver which had intertwined with her gut,” said trainer William Haggas to Racing Post. “That mass was removed and some of the gut taken out. However the mass turned out to be a malignant tumour known as a lymphoma. Her surgeon Richard Payne and specialist Celia Marr warned us that lymphomas can be aggressive and so it proved.

“Having made sure and steady progress under the excellent veterinary team at Rossdale's she took a turn for the worse at 4:30 a.m. this morning and a subsequent scan revealed another tumour the size of an orange. Despite regular scans during her convalescence, this was the first sign of an abnormality.

“She was quiet and uncomfortable today–and quite weak and the decision to put her to sleep was then taken unanimously by her team of experts, Maureen and I.”

Bred by Razza Del Velino and a 170,000gns TATNOV yearling, Sea of Class broke her maiden at second asking in a Newbury listed affair last May, and added another at that level there a month later prior to victories in the G1 Darley Irish Oaks that July and in the Aug. 23 G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks. In a thrilling edition of the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she gave Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) all she could handle, closing to miss by just a short neck. In her 4-year-old bow, she ran fifth to Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {ire}) in the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot. Highweighted from 11-14f in both England and France in 2018, her record stands at 7-4-2-0, and $1,960,140 in earnings.

“Owner Mrs. Tsui has been in full support of all decisions taken and she, her family and advisors are all devastated,” Haggas added. “For all of us here, we mourn the loss of the best filly we had anything to do with but will cherish the memories forever.”