Fanning Pays Tribute to Group 1 Winner The Last Lion

Veteran rider Joe Fanning paid tribute to The Last Lion  March 26, after the horse who gave him his first group 1 success in the saddle suffered a fatal injury at Kempton Racecourse.

Fanning, who had to dismount the 8-year-old sharply during Saturday's six-furlong handicap, described the 2016 Middle Park winner as a "gentleman" as he reflected on the horse's career highlights.

"He was great and gave me my first group 1," said Fanning. "He was a gentleman of a horse and was good to have anything to do with. It's just a shame that's happened to him; he didn't deserve that.

"As a 2-year-old he was a tough horse. He won the Brocklesby and had 10 races that year. He was as tough as old boots and seemed to get better with the more racing he had," he added. "The Middle Park was great. I wouldn't have retired happy without riding a group 1 and that was a bit of a relief that day. He was a lovely horse."

As well as his Brocklesby and Middle Park wins, The Last Lion landed the Totequadpot Sirenia Stakes (G3) and the Racinguk/Daypass Dragon Stakes at 2 and was retired after his group 1 triumph at Newmarket to stand at Darley's Kildangan Stud for the 2017 breeding season.

He subsequently moved to Hedgeholme Stud in Darlington, but fertility issues saw him make a surprise return to training at Mark and Charlie Johnston's yard in Middleham and he returned to the track after a five-year absence in November.

"He was very quiet even as a 2-year-old and he was the same when he came back from stud," said Fanning. "I think he was rusty for a couple of runs but he seemed to sharpen up a bit and seemed to be enjoying life. It was just one of those things and you couldn't blame the ground or anything like that—it was just one of those injuries."

According to Kempton clerk of the course Barney Clifford, The Last Lion fractured a hind pastern.

The winner of four of his 13 races and £229,280 (US$304,128) in prize-money, The Last Lion raced in the colors of John Brown and Megan Dennis, and sired 13 individual winners during his time at stud. The son of Choisir  was bred in Ireland by Barronstown Stud and Mrs. T. Slack. He went through the 2015 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, selling to trainer Mark Johnston for US$92,242 from the Glenvale Stud draft.