Promising racehorse Miss Pandanus drowns after taking fright and rushing out to sea

A promising racehorse has drowned at Somers on the Mornington Peninsula after taking fright before galloping into the sea and heading offshore in distressing circumstances for her trainer.

Mick Kent has lost his promising mare Miss Pandanus, who drowned in a freak accident at Somers on Tuesday morning.

Kent said he has only heard of something similar when he was a 17-year-old when a show horse he was attending drowned at Frankston beach.

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“It’s disappointing. There’s no one to blame. She panicked and kept on going. It’s one of those things,” Kent said.

The mare was being pre-trained at Balnarring by David Noonan and took fright when she was about to be saddled on the beach.

Miss Pandanus then galloped to the nearby Somers beach and headed out into the sea and then when she tried to come back in she again took fright and drowned.

Noonan said he had never experienced anything like that in his long career with horses.

Miss Pandanus won her first two starts at Geelong and Sale before she finished third and then second at Sandown Lakeside.

Hundreds of racehorses swim at beaches throughout Victoria every day as part of their training regime.

Kent said he had big plans for the lightly raced four-year-old.

“It’s so disappointing for the owner. We’d given plenty of time and this was the preparation where we were setting her for stakes races and I think she had the talent to win at that level,”

Kent said.

Miss Pandanus was being aimed the Melbourne autumn carnival and then the Adelaide carnival.

Noonan said it was an unfortunate incident which was handled in the best way possible.

“Once she got free there was nothing we could do,” Noonan said.

Lady Bay Beach at Warrnambool is a popular location for racehorses to enjoy a swim and a canter on the foreshore.