CONFLUENCE, who broke down in the Singapore Airlines International Cup and never raced again after that, was euthanased yesterday on humane grounds.

The daughter of Paris Opera underwent major surgery on June 1 to fuse the fetlock joint of her left foreleg. About a week ago, the implants (plate and screws) in her leg started to fail, resulting in a breakage of the fused joint. In the best interest of the mare and to prevent any suffering, after consultation with her trainer Francis Nathan and her co-owner, N Ratnasingham, she was humanely put down by Singapore Turf Club veterinary surgeons.

The gutsy mare will be sadly missed by racing fans in Malaysia and Singapore.

In a career which had been plagued by injuries, CONFLUENCE has shown remarkable courage and versatility. She was laid off for 12 months in 2000 and early 2001 but she shocked the racing fraternity when she scored an upset in the 2001 Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup.

She went on to win the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor and Coronation Cup the following year and was subsequently voted the 2002 PMP Horse of the Year.

Last year, at the age of eight, CONFLUENCE reeled off a hattrick in the Selangor Gold Cup, the Sprint Trophy and Coronation Cup and is a leading contender for the 2003 title to be announced in Ipoh this Saturday.