Retired Racehorse Ridden By A.P. McCoy Killed “With Handgun” Near South-East London Stables

A retired racehorse which was once ridden by jockeys such as A.P. McCoy and Richard Hughes has been shot dead, not far from its south-east London stables.

Woolfall Treasure was found with a gunshot wound to the head on Friday afternoon, with the injury seemingly inflicted by a handgun. The Evening Standard report that police are now investigating the attack, which seems to have been at random.

Staff apparently went to check on the horses as normal at 3pm on Friday, when they found Woolfall Treasure slumped in a field near to the Kemnal Manor Stables in Chislehurst. Stables manager Justine Bowdery is now offering £3,000 of her own money as a reward for anyone who helps to catch the killer.

She said: "The police said the gun they used is highly dangerous. It wasn't an air rifle. This was a proper handgun.

"Whoever did it, they went up to the horse and shot him at point blank-range in the head.

"It's just incredible really. This kind of thing just doesn't happen here," she added. "Chislehurst is a nice place. The yard's been here for 30 years and nothing like this has ever happened."

Woolfall Treasure was an 11-year-old thoroughbred, who was retired in 2013 after 42 flat and 15 jump races. He was ridden by several star jockeys, and trained by Gary Moore.

Nicknamed "Woolfie", he was owned and cared for by Myra McKenna, and lived at the Kemnal Manor Stables. Ms McKenna said: "He meant everything to me, absolutely everything. I spent nearly every night going down to see him and I'd just give him attention and look after him.

"He was a real character, so many people loved him… I just want to say what a special horse he was. He was such a beautiful animal."

Regarding the perpetrator, she added: "I just think it must be someone that's very sick. There are no words to describe them. I wouldn't even know what would go through their minds to do such a thing as this."