Man dies in riding accident at Robert Cowell yard in Newmarket

The racing community was left in grief and shock again on Wednesday after a man died in a riding accident at Robert Cowell's Newmarket stable.

The devastating news, which was confirmed by police on Wednesday afternoon, comes a day after a female staff member died at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables in Cheshire on Tuesday morning.

The man was named by the Cowell stable as Mazar Allauddin, who was aged 40.

Cowell said: "We are all devastated here at the yard as you can imagine. Although Mazar was only here for two to three weeks he was a very smiley, cheerful person, an accomplished horseman and quickly became a valued member of our small team. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time."

Cowell, a four-time Group 1-winner known for his success with sprinters, has a team of around 50 horses based at Bottisham Heath Stud in Six Mile Bottom, where the facilities include a private gallop.

In a statement, Cambridgeshire Police said: "We were called at about 8.50am today with reports a person had fallen from a horse on London Road, Newmarket. Emergency services attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The investigation is being treated as an industrial accident and has been handed over to the Health and Safety Executive."

Bottisham Heath Stud is set within 180 acres of private paddocks situated five miles outside Newmarket.

On Tuesday, Cheshire Police confirmed that a 25-year-old woman had collapsed at Manor House on Old Coach Road, Malpas and died at the scene, adding the death is not being treated as suspicious.