Amazing racehorse Laghat won 26 times despite being BLIND after a fungal infection robbed him of his sight

WONDER horse Laghat won 26 races in his native Italy – despite being BLIND.

The now-retired 17-year-old caught a virus as a young horse before a fungal infection, called mycosis, attacked both of his eyes.

He was left totally blind in his right eye and 95% blind in his left.

Despite his battles with sickness as a yearling, Laghat proved resilient and easy to break in when put into training.

He went on to make an incredible winning debut in January 2006 at San Rossore in Pisa – before following up by six lengths on his second start.

His owner Federico de Paola, who also rode the horse in amateur races, said: “Laghat has a sixth sense, which tells him where to put his legs.”

Apprentice jockey Giuseppe Virdis was his regular partner, and Laghat raced mainly in low-grade handicaps and stakes races.

Overall, he raced 123 times over a nine-year career, with 26 victories, 30 placed efforts and over £100k in prize money.

According to stable staff, Laghat would kick and bite his stable companion after losing a race – but he would be quiet and relaxed if he won.

He has been virtually blind in both eyes since he was a yearling

His story attracted attention from the national Italian media ahead of his 20th career win in the spring of 2012 – with the press naming him the “blind beauty”.

Author Enrico Querci even wrote a novel about Laghat’s life in 2014, while an illustrated children’s book sold out in just a MONTH in 2018.

Laghat was retired from racing in November 2015, with San Rossore racecourse holding a special event to mark the occasion.

He is kept company in his paddock by a Norwegian Fjord horse called Cerere, and he is still visited regularly by local schoolchildren.

FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE