Leading Cheltenham Champion Hurdle contender Darlan suffered a fatal fall while racing at Doncaster this afternoon.

Underneath champion jockey Tony McCoy, the six-year-old fell heavily at the final hurdle and sustained a broken neck.

"It's some game, isn't it? Why is it always the good ones?" said Darlan's trainer Nicky Henderson after the incident.

Jockey McCoy was not injured in the fall, but he has decided to sit out the remainder of the meeting.