Legendary trainer rushed to hospital with ‘worsening' serious illness as horses urgently moved to assistant
LEGENDARY horse trainer D Wayne Lukas has been rushed to hospital with a 'worsening' serious illness.
The iconic US handler, praised for revolutionising racing in the States, has urgently transferred all his horses to his British assistant.
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Iconic trainer D Wayne Lukas has been rushed to hospital with a 'worsening' serious illness and his horses removed from his care
Credit: AP:Associated Press
Lukas, 89, trained some of the biggest names in the sport including previous Horses of the Year Charismatic and Criminal Type.
He won the Kentucky Derby four times and dominated the Triple Crown races, winning six in a row in the mid-Nineties.
He shares the record alongside Aidan O'Brien for most Breeders' Cup wins with 20.
And his incredible career has seen him amass prize money earnings of £225million from a jaw-dropping 4,967 winners.
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Lukas, whose first given name is Darrell, is too ill to train again and his final winner came at Churchill Downs, home of the Derby, earlier this month.
The horses in his yard will now be trained by his British assistant and former Army veteran Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl.
Nicholl, who was a tank commander in the first Gulf War, said: "Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched.
"Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I'll hear his voice in the back of my mind.
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"This isn't about filling his shoes – no one can – it's about honoring everything that he's built."
Lukas is said to have refused an aggressive treatment plan for a severe infection in hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
He will return home to be with his family in the coming days.
Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs racetrack, said: "Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in thoroughbred racing history.
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"He transcended the sport of horse racing and took the industry to new levels.
"The lasting impact of his character and wisdom – from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail – will be truly missed.
"The enormity of this news is immense, and our prayers are with his family and friends around the world during this difficult time."
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