Third horse dies after stables inferno
The third harness racing pony linked with last Friday’s blaze at Graceland Stables has died.Tuxedo’s Lady had to be humanely destroyed at the weekend as a result of severe burns it sustained in the inferno which caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage at the Warwick stable.Last week’s early morning fire also claimed the lives of stud Return to Sender and mare Bye Bye Byrd.Stable owners Noel (Chopper) Jones and Brenda Cordoza were treated at hospital for minor burns and smoke inhalation.Driving Horse and Pony Club (DHPC) vice-president Eddie Roque said it was decided best that Jones’ mare be put down due to the severity of her burns.“She was too badly burned ... they had to put her to sleep,” he said.Roque said having to put the horse to sleep was a very emotional decision stable owners Jones and Cordoza had to make.“It was very sad and the lady (Cordoza) broke down terribly,” he added.In what proved to be her last outing at Vesey Street Tuxedo’s Lady had finishes of fourth and second in the 1.07/3-1.09/3 time bar with former PHC footballer Kenny Mills at the helm.Return to Sender got a leg out of the same bar in her last two heats she won with driver Zinho Cooper.An investigation into last week’s blaze that raged on for nearly two hours and caused last weekend’s scheduled races at Vesey Street to be postponed is underway.In a massive show of support, droves of DHPC members turned up at Graceland Stable in the aftermath of the deadly fire to help clean up debri and lay the groundwork for new stables and barns to be constructed.But the generosity did not end there as various local businesses donated items such as lumber, paint, excavation machinery, animal feed and food and beverages for the volunteers that pitched in to help Graceland Stables owners Jones and Cordoza get back on their feet.“The response from the harness community and businesses who have made donations has been fantastic and it is very beautiful to see,” Roque said. “It’s amazing that everyone came out, dug in and worked alongside each other and got a heck of a lot done.”Roque said stable owners Jones and Cordoza are moved by the outpouring of generosity and support they have received.“They are still in awe,” he added. “They don’t know what to say and really what can you say?“They just can’t believe what people are doing. It’s just amazing that so many people are coming out and putting the time in to help them in their time of need.”