‘Desperately sad’ day as Alex Ferguson’s star horse Hermes Allen suffers fatal injury at Sandown

SIR ALEX FERGUSON’S star horse Hermes Allen sadly suffered a fatal injury at Sandown Park on Saturday.

The promising seven-year-old fell two out when trying to chase down eventual winner Nickle Back in the Scilly Isles Novice Chase.

PA

Hermes Allen sadly suffered a fatal injury at Sandown[/caption]

The horse was immediately attended to by the on-course team of vets, but the sad news was confirmed a short time later that he had been put to sleep.

Fergie was not on course to watch the horse in the Grade 1 race, but his trainer Paul Nicholls was understandably devastated at the death of one of his star horses.

And so too was jockey Harry Cobden, who had been riding the crest of the wave this week after a string of winners propelled him into contention to be champion jockey.

Hermes Allen won four of his eight races during his career, giving former Manchester United boss a huge win in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle back in 2022.

And he looked to have the world at his feet as a chaser winning a Grade 2 at Newbury before running a brilliant race to finish second to French superstar Il Est Francais at Kempton over Christmas.

Racing fans were absolutely heartbroken by the news, with one saying on X: “Absolutely devastated, rest in peace.”

Another added: “I was hoping beyond hope he would live to fight another day, so very sad.”

While another posted: “Desperately sad day with the loss of such a high profile horse in Hermes Allen. Thoughts with all of his connections.”