ANIMAL rights activists are demanding action after a pregnant mare died at Hexham Racecourse.

Beyondtemptation, an 11-year-old mare, died on Tuesday after falling in a hurdle race. She was running in her third race in 17 days, having won the Emerald Trading Waste Solutions Handicap Hurdle at Hexham on May 11.

Animal rights group Animal Aid said pregnant mares should not be allowed to race.

But a spokesman for the British Horseracing Association explained yesterday that horses could run until 120 days of pregnancy.

He added: “It is sad when we lose any horse, and last night’s events will not be felt any more acutely than by those who loved and cared for Beyondtemptation. The BHA has recently created a cross-industry equine welfare board, whose remit is to develop a new welfare strategy covering the whole racing industry.”