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.