Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs has died from injuries sustained in an accident in a field less than a week after being retired by connections.
Ruby Walsh revealed the news late on Tuesday evening that the 10-year-old gelding had suffered an injury to his near front leg which vets concluded was irreparable.
"Sadly Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved," Walsh said in a statement to Racing TV.
"He was checked a few times throughout the morning but late in the morning when I went to get him for exercise I found him with a severe injury, high up on his near front leg.
"He was attended to by our vets immediately but X-rays revealed extensive unrepairable damage."
Walsh paid tribute to a horse that won not only two Gold Cups at the Festival but three Irish Gold Cups at Leopardstown.
The statement continued: "He was a fabulous racehorse whose short time with us has left lots of broken hearts but none more so than those of Greg, Audrey and Sarah Turley and Adam Connolly who looked after him for so long. He will be sadly missed."
