Devastated trainer reveals details behind shock death of promising race horse in freak accident

Devastated trainer John Zielke has revealed the shocking and graphic details behind the death of one of his beloved race horses. It comes just before the horse was to begin preparations for a statewide campaign.

TRAINER John Zielke’s planned Northern Crown team has been halved following the death of talented stayer Future Event at his Gold Coast stable.

As Dreams Aplenty prepares for the Queensland sprinters campaign with a first-up run in Wednesday’s Open Handicap (1200m) at the Gold Coast, Zielke is still coming to grips with losing Future Event at his stables across the road from the track on Tuesday.

“I’m a bit devastated at the moment. We have lost our Cups horse through a freak stable accident and he is now deceased.

“We don’t know exactly what happened, I had already gone home. But I got a call from the feed-man saying he had got his head stuck in the gate.

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“He got his head stuck in a 30mm crack and choked himself to death.

“It’s a trillion to one chance of it happening.

“You wouldn’t believe it could happen. It’s the safest yard you have ever seen. It’s that tight that pidgeons can’t even get in.”

It’s a tragic end to the four-year-old’s life and career that included eight wins, including the 2018 Murwillumbah Cup.

Future Event had also finished second at last year’s Lismore Cup and third at the 2019 Ballina Cup.

Zielke said the horse was set to chase the $150,000 in bonuses for any horse who can win three of the five staying races as part of the Northern Crown.

Tegan Harrison rides Dreams Aplenty (left) to victory in Race 4, the 1400m XXXX Gold Coast Cup at the Aquis Gold Coast Turf Club on the Gold Coast, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Another $100,000 in bonuses is up for grabs to sprinters who can do the same.

“We were trying to get $250,000 in bonuses but we have lost our main horse,” Zielke said.

Zielke will press on with Dreams Aplenty who he will aim for Northern Crown races including the Mackay and Cairns Newmarkets and the Cleveland Bay Handicap in Townsville.

Dreams Aplenty won the 2018 Gold Coast Cup (1400m) and Zielke hoped to defend the title before a delay in preparations meant the horse wasn’t ready for last weekend’s race.

“I probably just gave him one too many starts last preparation and didn’t quite get the spell I wanted to give him,” Zielke said.

“I would have had to take him out of the paddock two weeks earlier and I didn’t want to do that.”

Dreams Aplenty hasn’t won a race since the Cup win but Zielke was confident the gelding was ready to fire after winning a trial at the Gold Coast on April 30.

“We are very happy with Dreams,” Zielke said.

“He trialled extremely well the other day and has pulled up well.

“We think the horse has come back in good fiddle this time. He didn’t have a lot of luck last preparation. he was plagued by extreme outside barriers and wet tracks and interference.

“He ran some lovely races in black type without any luck.”