St Leger hero Lucarno dies at age of 14

Lucarno, who provided Jimmy Fortune with his sole British Classic triumph when landing the 2007 St Leger, has died at the age of 14.

Trained by John Gosden throughout his racing career, which also included successes in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and Newmarket’s Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, the George Strawbridge-owned Lucarno went on to prove a useful sire of jumpers.

However, the 2007 Derby fourth will always be best remembered for his swashbuckling victory on Town Moor, where he travelled sweetly before staying on strongly to beat the Aidan O’Brien-trained Mahler by a length.

Paying tribute on Wednesday, Strawbridge's racing manager James Wigan said: "He was a lovely big individual – a stayer with a lot of class. He was homebred by George, who had great affection for him.

"He was beginning to show promise as a National Hunt stallion, and his death is very sad."

The son of Dynaformer suffered a heart attack at Longford House Stud in County Tipperary on Tuesday.

He had previously spent time at two Shropshire studs, Shade Oak Stud and Wood Farm Stud, as well as two years in France at Haras de Saint-Voir.

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