Melbourne Cup hope Hamada put down after gallop injury

Godolphin's Geoffrey Freer Stakes winner Hamada suffered a fatal injury at Werribee in Australia on Saturday.

The four-year-old, who was prominent in the betting for the Melbourne Cup at a best-priced 16-1, fractured his near-hind fetlock during a routine piece of work.

"It was a freak accident and on the vet's advice we did what was best for the horse," said trainer Charlie Appleby.

"It's very unfortunate, he had a bright future and a progressive profile. I was really looking forward to seeing him run."

Hamada, lightly raced as he missed the whole of the 2017 season, had won his last five starts, progressing from winning a Pontefract maiden at the third time of asking via handicaps – he started with a rating of 87 – to land the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer at Newbury.

Explaining what happened, Appleby's travelling head lad Chris Connet said: "He was doing a routine piece of work and unfortunately broke down. He was transported to the University of Melbourne Veterinary Hospital but there was no alternative but to euthanise him.

"The whole team is devastated. He was a lovely horse who had an upwardly mobile profile and it's a big shame."

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