Rob Burrow charity racehorse ruled out of Doncaster debut after being found lame

Beep Beep Burrow was all set to race at Town Moor today to help raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Burrow and his wife Lindsey were still planning to attend the meeting but the horse was pulled by trainer Jedd O’Keeffe from the Good Luck "Beep Beep Burrow" Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race at 3.30pm.

“I received a phone call from Jedd at about 8.30 this morning that Beep Beep Burrow had been found lame in his box,” said Phil Hawthorne who runs the Good Racing Co which owns the horse.

“Jedd thinks that it’s nothing serious, that it’s a very temporary lameness. The vets are going to see him but all being well he should be able to make his debut in two to three weeks.”

‘Beep Beep’ was the nickname of the 40-year-old former Leeds Rhinos player who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, two years after he retired.

A five-year-old chestnut gelding with four white socks, he is the replacement for Burrow Seven who helped raise over £100,000 for MND research but has been retired due to injury after four races.

Burrow, who was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List, received another honour before Christmas when he won the Helen Rollasan Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony.