Racing: Owners lament loss of Belfast Lad

Belfast Lad loved to prance around the paddock and struck a rapport with Waipukurau racegoers.

A stayer who had an alluring impact on Waipukurau racegoers has died following an accident in his paddock.

Owners Penny and Tony Ebbett humanely put down Belfast Lad on Saturday morning at their stables in Central Hawke's Bay.

The 9-year-old gelding, who went by the stable name of Jimmy, had 101 starts, winning a dozen and claiming $138,020 in stake prizes.

"He was playing in the paddock and fooling around, as he always does, and he suddenly fell down," a tearful Penny said last night.

She suspected the horse had either cracked his hip or popped it out while gallivanting around the paddock.

"He lay there and it got worse so he had had enough [of the pain]."

Penny said they started racing Belfast Lad from the time he was 3-years old.

The Ebbetts bought him from a Karaka sale for $2500.

Belfast Lad had a special rapport with jockey Buddy Lamas, who won eight races on the gelding and had refined the art of putting the horse at ease before the gates snapped open.

His biggest victory was at a handicap race meeting in Woodville in 2011 when he clinched the title over 2300m, beating Capecover and Aintree.

Last year, Belfast Lad won the Foxton Cup at Wanganui over 2050m.

Penny, who owns health food shop, Food for Thought, in Waipukurau, thanked all those who had supported "Jimmy" over the years.

"I used to have people come to the shop to yak about him, especially the cheery old ladies who loved to watch him race."

She said Belfast Lad had also competed in Hastings, Palmerston North and Wellington. "Tony did most of the work in breaking him in and I rode him every day."

She described Belfast Lad as "very determined, strong-willed and very tough".

"He was a front runner and everyone else had to try to catch him."

The Ebbetts now have three fillies left at their stable.

One of them, Andalou, won her maiden race at the Waipukurau meeting a fortnight ago.