Burton says Droopys Aladdin "will never be forgotten"

DROOPYS ALADDIN has been described as the "best I've trained and been involved with" by Mike Burton after this year's Arc Laurels champion collapsed and died at Burton's kennels near Gloucester on Monday.

The sudden death of the brilliant July 23 son of Serene Ace and Droopys Natalia, twice an English Derby quarter-finalist, was announced by Burton's grandson George on X, who said the family were "devastated to share that Droopys Aladdin passed".

He added: "As he was being led in from the paddock at around 7am, he suffered a fatal heart attack and died very quickly with Mike by his side.

"On the track he was brilliant and off it he was an absolute gent, a pleasure to own and train. He gave us some of our greatest nights in racing and he's already sorely missed. RIP Champ x."

Mike Burton himself added: "Aladdin always gave everything in his races and was a true gent in the kennel."

Bought unraced from the Dunphys, Droopys Aladdin made a winning debut at Monmore in February 2025, his superb 28.28sec for the 480m providing early evidence that here was an above-average youngster.

Showing awesome pace again when winning his heat of the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby at the Wolverhampton venue, an early inclination to head to the rails proved costly in the semi-finals of the Puppy Derby there, and was also his undoing when, as a pup, he was knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the English Derby at Towcester.

However, that was only after the precocious talent wowed the crowds at the Northamptonshire venue with some scintillating off-the-front performances for Burton, his assistant Michael Jones, and owners the Severn Racing Club.

One of the most exciting dogs around at that time, with maturity he developed more trackcraft, and always competed at the highest level.

Droopys Aladdin reached the semi-finals of both the Ladbrokes Gold Cup, back at Monmore, last year and later the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse at Nottingham.

However, his Category One turn was to come in 2026 - and it so nearly happened at Monmore in the Ladbrokes Winter Derby Final in February.

In front and seemingly on his way to major success when the hare was stopped in the interests of safety after Texas Jack was knocked over and jumped the inside rail, Droopys Aladdin was then beaten in the re-run by Mark Wallis's Bruce Bay.

That defeat in the re-run was taken on the chin by connections of Droopys Aladdin, who went again in the Arc Laurels and this time they came up trumps when a battling performance in the final secured him the Category One title his talents deserved.

Back at Towcester for another crack at the Derby, but now as the Laurels champion, Droopys Aladdin impressed again before being crowded out in what was considered at that stage the hottest quarter-final behind Epic Ace, Ballymac Iroko, Proper Heiress and Underground Gold. That proved to be his last race.

"Aladdin was just the best," said Mike Burton, "and he will never be forgotten."