Accidents come with the territory, but deaths? That’s a whole different ballgame and the lacuna it leaves, especially in horse racing, is disheartening. Miracle Of Love, the star filly in Group 1 races met with an untimely demise. During a barrier trial at Scone, the byproduct of two Arrowfield Studs collapsed suddenly, causing a wave of despair. The daughter of Dundeel and Miss Finland, she had a brief yet influential career. Now, as she succumbed to her death, with many impugning safety and health concerns, her owner, John Messara, is in stark disbelief.

Trained by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, Miracle Of Love had shown promising talent in the horse racing world with her win at Doomben and placement in Group 1 races. Highly regarded for her potential, the 3-year-old filly, sired on August 2020 in Australia, was contesting a 1000m heat when the incident occurred. While initial reports of a heart attack are being suggested, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Star Filly collapses during Barrier Trial

The catastrophic death of Miracle Of Love has put owner-breeder John Messara in a state of befuddlement, with him struggling to cope with the bereavement that follows through. Talking to Racenet a few moments after the trial, he said, “Paul rang, it was the call I’d been waiting for, and I thought he was going to tell me how well the filly trialed.” However, it was not something he had expected.

But when he was informed about the filly’s death, his first words were, ‘You are pulling my leg,’ as he could not grasp the gravity of the situation. However, when he had to face the truth, he also extended his sympathies to the trainer, Paul Messara. He adds, “I feel so sorry for Paul, he has put so much work into this filly. She was an outstanding filly, we thought she had Group 1 potential.”

John Messara was planning up a lineup for Miracle of Love, but alas, her future could not reach fruition. The filly collapsed on the track, before finishing the race. While her memory will live on for posterity, how did her brief stint really impact horse racing fans?

Short but sweet – Miracle of Love lingers on

As John Messara expressed devastation mulls over the loss of Miracle Of Love, he considers it intensely irreplaceable. According to the updates, a post-mortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of her death. However, the preliminary observations point to a potential heart attack.

Though her life was cut short, Miracle of Love had a promising career. Within the three races in which she took part in her career, the filly won at Doomben. She was also placed in both the Listed Woodlands Stakes and the Group 1 JJ Atkins.

As the horse racing community shares the heartbreak, they eagerly await more information about the recent incident.

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