De Kock shocked by belated news of Igugu's death

South Africa's most famous trainer Mike de Kock was shocked to learn on Thursday that Igugu, his former South African horse of the year, had died last November at the age of nine.

Igugu was one of De Kock's most successful mares. In the colours of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum she won four Grade 1 races, which included the Durban July and the J&B Met within six months of each other in 2011 and 2012.

On learning about her death through South Africa's TSA News, De Kock said: "This is simply bizarre. It boggles my mind that it took the best part of a year for us to know about Igugu's death when she's the type of mare who'd deserve a state funeral.

"All of us at the stable are shaken by this and sad, but we won't dwell on the fact that the info came to us so terribly late. Igugu was a wonderful champion in all respects, a top mare with vast amounts of courage and a big favourite to all in the yard. We salute her with fond memories."

Igugu was retired after an unsuccessful visit to Britain in the autumn of 2013, when she was second in the Listed Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket and then last of eight in the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day.

The daughter of Galileo reportedly had two foals prior to her death. The first, a filly by Dansili, is now a two-year-old in training with Hugo Palmer. She had a colt by the same sire last year before her death on November 24.