A devastated Mike de Kock said on Friday that Lizard’s Desire, the horse who scored a glorious victory in the Singapore Airlines International Cup after so nearly winning the world’s richest race, the $10-million Dubai World Cup, and the premier event in Hong Kong, the QEII Cup at Sha Tin, earlier this year had contracted enteritis and the toxins had set off the laminitis, an extremely painful and debilitating inflammation of the hoof.

"Ninety-five percent of the time laminitis is deadly, but he’s fighting it with all the determination and courage he showed us in his racing,’’ said De Kock. "We’re hoping he’ll pull through.

"He’s a great character. To do Dubai as hard as he did and then go on to run so well in Hong Kong and Singapore says a lot about how special he is.’’

Lizard’s Desire, runner-up in last year’s Gold Circle Derby, ran four times in Dubai for two wins and a close second to Gloria De Campeao in the Dubai World Cup. Twenty-nine days later he failed by just a neck to catch Viva Pataca in the 2000m Sha Tin race. His turn came in Singapore where he got up close home to beat Gloria De Campeao by 0.50 lengths.

The five-year-old gelding, by Lizard Island out of the Northfields mare Annsfield, carried the hopes of many South African racing fans for even greater glory next year, but De Kock says his racing career is over.

"It’s heartbreaking for everybody because he’s done a hell of a lot for many people, and the country.’’