STAYING great Double Trigger has died at the age of 28.
The popular chestnut, who was trained by Mark Johnston, became the first horse to win three Goodwood Cups in 1998.
Double Trigger became the first horse to win three Goodwood Cups
He also won the 1995 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot during a glittering career which also saw him land three Doncaster Cups and amass over 500,000 in earnings.
In a post on his website, Johnston said: “Double Trigger died yesterday in his paddock at John and Sarah Haydon’s Clarendon Farm in Wiltshire.
“He was 28 years and 11 months old. A great age for a thoroughbred horse.
“It is only a few weeks since videos were distributed on social media of him cantering around the paddock and cavorting like a young thing.
“He was in rude health till the end. What a way to go.
“It seems that, no matter what champions I trained or might be lucky enough to train in future, I will always be remembered more for having trained Double Trigger than for anything else.
“He captured the public’s imagination like no other animal that I have been associated with, and rightly so.
“He was purchased for just 7,200 Irish pounds at Goffs Orby sales in October 1992 and he went on to win 14 races (13 of them Stakes races) from 29 starts, amassing 559,102 in prize-money.
“His wins included three Goodwood Cups, three Doncaster Cups, the Ascot Gold Cup, and the Italian St Leger.
“He was third in the real St Leger on just his fourth career start and he also finished runner up twice in the Ascot Gold Cup.
“His career as a stallion inevitably revolved around jump racing and he didn’t scale any great heights – few, if any, stayers do these days – but it was a long and productive career at stud with the couple who kept him in his retirement.”
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