Former Alan King-trained dual purpose star Grumeti, is recovering at a vets in Newmarket after those associated close with the horse were left fearing for his life.
Having retired from the track last summer, the ten-year-old's health became a concern for Katie Clements who is an events-rider, which resulted in an emergency trip to Rossdales vets almost a week ago.
(Credit: Racing Post) She said: "He became unwell with colic on Monday but with none of the typical symptoms you associate with colic, initially it was quite baffling.
"We tried to treat him at home but the following day his condition had deteriorated even further. He was showing strange neurological symptoms – he was struggling to balance properly, he could not walk and one side of his face was drenched in sweat while the other looked dry and normal.
"All the tests they ran came back saying that he was a completely healthy horse and everything was as it should be – yet that clearly was not the case."
"It was not until we took him to Rossdales that it was discovered he had displaced his colon which had cut off the blood supply to his liver. That explained the bizarre symptoms he had been showing," she concluded.
Grumeti enjoyed success on both the Flat and over jumps for the McNeill Family, who are represented nowadays with the likes of The Worlds End and La Bague Au Roi - both of whom are winners over fences in the last few weeks.
Arguably Grumeti's most famous victory came in the Cesarewitch on the Rowley Mile three years ago, showing off his versatility having also won the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree three years prior to that.
He is still at Newmarket where he is being monitored and observed closely, before hopefully he returns back to his new life as an eventer.