Cheltenham Festival 2018: Six horses dead after four-day meeting and BHA promise to launch a review
The British Horseracing Authority promised to launch a review after six horses died at Cheltenham this week.
Four horses had to be put down on Friday after two had died on the first day of the meeting on Tuesday.
A BHA official expressed sympathy for those that had lost their lives during the four-day festival.
Jamie Stier, chief regulatory officer for the BHA, said: "Everyone who follows this sport does so because we love these fine animals and it is extremely sad when we lose any horse.
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"The BHA will be reviewing the circumstances leading to the fatalities at the Cheltenham Festival.
"We will examine the evidence from the past week over the next few days before deciding how we will pursue the review.
"We will also be examining whether the existing penalties for misuse of the whip, and how they apply, constitute an adequate deterrent to jockeys.
"We continue to use research, safety measures, regulation and education to reduce fatality rates to as close to zero as possible."
Four horses died at the Cheltenham Festival last year while 2016 saw seven fatalities.