A horse has been put down at Aintree Racecourse, shortly after winning the second race of Ladies’ Day.

Gold Dancer fell at the final hurdle, but recovered to limp over the line to victory. The six-year-old was being ridden by Paul Townend, who continued to whip the horse after its fall. The prize money for winning the race was £67,524.

Gold Dancer, who was trained by Willie Mullins, looked on course to claim victory by a few lengths but slowed once it fell. Immediately after crossing the line, Townend dismounted, and vets rushed to give treatment.

Screens were put up around the horse, before news of its death was confirmed.

An Aintree Racecourse statement read: ‘The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after the line and dismounted.

‘He was immediately attended to by our expert veterinary team but sadly he could not be saved. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.’

Eddie O’Leary of owners Gigginstown said: ‘He’s been put down. He broke his back. It’s terribly sad for the horse. What could Paul Townend do? He felt fine, it was just when he pulled up that something was wrong.’

Animal right group Animal Aid, meanwhile, issued a statement within minutes of the events taking place.

They said: ‘The fact that the ‘winner’ of this race was dead minutes later proves that this so called “sport” has no winners. Injuries and deaths such as these are common in racing, occurring on average every other day across the country.

‘It’s no accident – it’s a predictable consequence of pushing horses beyond their physical limits and using a whip to bully them into running faster than they want to. Injury and death go hand in hand with racing, and that’s why Animal Aid is calling on the public to turn their backs on this “sport” and boycott horse racing.’

Campaign Manager on Horse Racing at Animal Aid, Isobel McNally, added: ‘This is a horrifying thing to happen to an animal, all in service of an event that, looking at ITV coverage, appears to be more of a social event for attendees.

‘Everyone who has bought a ticket or placed a bet has paid for this horse to die. We all have the opportunity to fix this problem very easily. We can go and drink somewhere else. We can place bets on something else. Animals’ lives should never be the collateral damage in anyone’s good time.’

The British Horseracing Authority, meanwhile, issued a stewards report in the aftermath of the events.

The report confirmed that both Townend and the Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare both spoke.

Townsend said that the horse made a ‘mistake’ at the final fence, before ‘running on in a straight line to the winning line where Gold Dancer felt sound.

He added that it was only when rounding towards the pull up area that the ‘action changed’ and he immediately dismounted.

The Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare said that the horse’s actions in the final stages were ‘typical of a three mile chaser in the final stages. Both explanations were noted by stewards.

The RSPCA said: ‘We are devastated by Gold Dancer’s death. ‘This is the 42nd fatality linked to competitive horse-racing in the UK this year alone – and it is only April.

‘Lessons must be learned from any tragedy like this – around the contributing factors, pre- and mid-race decision-making, and means of prevention.

‘We will be speaking with the British Horseracing Authority later today (10 April) to discuss the incident, understand their assessment of what happened, and how it could have been prevented – including an update on the welfare of other horses who are reported to have fallen today.

‘The RSPCA continues to engage with the industry in the hope of seeing greater safety measures introduced to the sport, and improvements for equine welfare both on and off the track.’