‘Everyone’s in bits’ says Gordon Elliott after death of ‘horse of a lifetime’ Sire Du Berlais on sad day at Punchestown

A DOUBLE racing tragedy rocked Punchestown after the death of ‘horse of a lifetime’ Sire Du Berlais and his fellow warrior Kilbeg King.

Three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Sire Du Berlais, 12, sadly went wrong in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.

Sire Du Berlais will go down as a Cheltenham Festival legend with his three winsSportsfile

While Anthony Honeyball’s nine-year-old Kilbeg King was pulled up with a fatal injury in the very next race.

The tragic double deaths cast a dark cloud over the third day of the star-studded Festival – the final jumps meeting of the season in Ireland.

Elliott said ‘everyone’s in bits’ after learning of the passing of two-time Pertemps and 2023 Stayers’ Hurdle king Sire Du Berlais.

The loveable veteran was owned by JP McManus and had won just shy of £750,000 from seven career wins, which also included the 2023 Liverpool Hurdle.

A devastated Elliott, who won the race with favourite Teahupoo, said: “Absolutely heartbroken.

“He’s been the horse of a lifetime for us at Cullentra and everyone is in bits over there, the girls and the lads in Ireland.

“He’s been unbelievable so we are all gutted. All thoughts to JP, Noreen and the whole family.

“It takes the gloss off the whole week to be honest – I’m heartbroken.

“He was just the horse of a lifetime, you couldn’t write what he’s done for us. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, a great horse.”

Honeyball’s Kilbeg King, who had four wins from 13 career races, went wrong in the Listed Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle – a race he won last year.

Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies pulled him up after the eighth flight.

One racing fan said the awful tragedies were ‘beyond heartbreaking’ – and came in a tough few days for the sport.

The racing world was shocked by the death of the iconic Shishkin on Sunday night.

Nicky Henderson’s Festival hero was found cast in his box and was put down.

While Clarence House Chase winner Elixir De Nutz was fatally injured when contesting the bet365 Celebration Chase last weekend at Sandown.