Updated at 21.20

IRISH CHAMPION JUMPS trainer Willie Mullins suffered a second serious loss in a matter of weeks as his champion chaser Vautour had to be put down.

Mullins, who in September saw Ryanair supremo Michael O’Leary remove his 60 horses from the stable over a row about training fees, said the seven-year-old three time Cheltenham Festival winner had broken a leg in his paddock, with the circumstances of the accident still unclear.

“He broke a foreleg and has had to be put down,” the 60-year-old told the Racing Post.

Vautour was regarded as one of the most exciting chasers in the game having eased to a six length victory in this year’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Indeed Vautour – winner of 10 of his 16 starts only once finishing outside the first two and won over £500,000 in prizemoney — had been thought of as a future Cheltenham Gold Cup champion.

Additional reporting from Shane Costello

– © AFP 2016

The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!

Richie Power plays a substitute-role as Carrickshock secure return to Kilkenny senior hurling ranks

JVDF grew up watching the All Blacks, but had no fear in Soldier Field