A racehorse trainer is urgently appealing to the people of Romney Marsh for help in finding his champion thoroughbred after it was last seen galloping onto Lydd army ranges.

Phil Sharp is desperate to find Zimbabwe, pictured right, after a training exercise on Camber beach last Friday went wrong.

Mr Sharp, of Robertsbridge, East Sussex, said: “The tide was out and there was a long stretch of beach to gallop on.

“We had just come to the end of the run when he went through some water and unseated the rider and decided to gallop off even further.

“We trapped him and were quite close to him when he started to go on to the dunes.”

Zimbabwe was soon on the highly-dangerous army ranges and Mr Sharp and his colleagues phoned 999.

Despite the help of the police, the horse has not been seen since.
Mr Sharp added: “Someone very kindly sponsored a helicopter search last Sunday.

“It was a beautiful clear day and we were only 200ft over the whole site but there was no sight, dead or alive.”

Mr Sharp thinks that having his rider unseated led Zimbabwe to seek the sanctuary of his stable box, a common practice during races.

The incident has been traumatic for Mr Sharp who had helped Zimbabwe recover from serious injury in a bid to return to his winning ways.

The horse was due to run at Fontwell Park racecourse in West Sussex that very day.

Zimbabwe is described as having a white “sock” on his left hind leg, a small white marking in the middle of his forehead and one on his right side and just above his shoulder, a grey patch.

Mr Sharp can be contacted on 01424 871199.