Last year’s Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker has tragically died this afternoon at her home stables of Cranbourne after suffering an allergic reaction.
The four-year-old mare had run in just two races this autumn and was due to appear in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Rosehill Racecourse this Saturday.
Pinker Pinker finished second in her first-up start behind Wall Street in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes, before running sixth to Shoot Out in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes last start.
Her biggest triumph came when winning the $3 million Cox Plate last October, which saw her devoted trainer Greg Eurell reduced to tears.
Sky Racing’s Andrew Bensley shed some light on the untimely demise of the star mare.
“Last year’s Cox Plate winner has dropped dead about 40 minutes ago,” Bensley said.
Pinker Pinker was being given a routine treatment for an undisclosed problem when she experienced a fatal reaction to the drug.
“It has reacted to it in a very bad way,” Bensley said of Pinker Pinker.
“Obviously an autopsy will take place to find out exactly why this happened to this mare.”
While Pinker Pinker’s estimated future prize earnings would have amassed to a large amount, her prospective value as a brood mare will be what leaves her owners reeling the most.
As a Cox Plate winning mare and a four time Group winner, Pinker Pinker would have been much sought after in the breeding barn.
The Reset mare won six of her 18 race starts and earned more than $2.56 million in prize money during her short career.
The Races.com.au team would like to express our deepest sympathies to all those associated with Pinker Pinker and her celebrated racing career.