Lady Buttons team 'absolutely gutted' after learning she cannot have a foal

The owners of hugely popular and talented mare Lady Buttons have been forced to pull the plug on the expected next chapter of her career.

The homebred 11-year-old, who won 15 of her 33 starts for Jayne and Keith Sivills, and who was the stable star at Phil Kirby's Green Oaks Farm yard near Richmond, North Yorkshire, has a condition which will prevent her from conceiving and carrying a foal, it has been revealed.

The news has devastated her owner-breeders, whose versatile pride and joy was a dual Grade 2 winner and wound up her successful career when seventh in the Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle at last year's Cheltenham Festival.

Jayne Sivills, writing on Facebook on Saturday, said: "Lady Buttons has returned to Green Oaks today. Unfortunately her next chapter is not the one we expected.

"As most of you know she has been to Coolmore to visit Walk In The Park to be covered. When scanned it was discovered she has 'very underdeveloped ovaries', which prevents her from conceiving and carrying a foal.

"We would like to thank the team at Coolmore, especially the team of vets, for their help, support, guidance and advice while Buttons has been there.

"Keith and I, along without Phil and Pippa, have had an agonising few weeks. Myself and Keith wrongly took for granted her next chapter would be having baby Buttons, but this is not to be. We are absolutely gutted."

What comes next for Lady Buttons, who is out of High Chaparral mare Lady Chapp, remains to be seen.

Jayne Sivills added: "For the time being she will spend some time at Green Oaks, to give us time to decide what is next for her. She is our once-in-a-lifetime horse and will stay with me forever."

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