.PNG)
Mick Kinane has hailed Vintage Crop as an "iconic stayer" after the Melbourne Cup hero passed away at the age of 27, reports the Irish Racing Post.
Trained by Dermot Weld, Vintage Crop became the first northern hemisphere-based horse in history to win the Melbourne Cup in 1993, triumphing in the 'race that stops a nation' in the hands of Kinane.
Vintage Crop also won the Irish St Leger in 1993 and 1994 and the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in 1992, as well as finishing sixth in the 1993 Champion Hurdle.
Kinane said: "He was an iconic stayer and we created history, so he'll always have a special place in my heart.
"He was a very tough and genuine horse and also very talented.
"He won the Melbourne Cup, two Irish St Legers and the Cesarewitch. He didn't manage to win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. He just didn't stay well enough.
"We were pretty confident going into the Melbourne Cup. He'd won the Irish Leger, the rain came, we were expecting a big performance and he produced."
Vintage Crop was retired to the Irish National Stud after finishing third in the 1995 Melbourne Cup.
The stud's CEO, John Osborne, told www.irishnationalstud.ie: "Vintage Crop was a true equine celebrity, a horse who pioneered the concept of truly global competition when he travelled from the Curragh to Flemington to win the Melbourne Cup, the richest race in Australia.
"The scale of that achievement is revealed by the number of horses who have since tried and come up short.
"He was a great feature of our visitor experience here at the Irish National Stud, his story was told to hundreds of thousands, who saw him as a true warrior.
"He was lovingly cared for here by Annette Boland, Fiona Doggett and Leona Harmon and will be missed by us all.
"Vintage Crop had a nephrosplenic entrapment which caused him to colic yesterday. As a 27 year old the treatment options are restricted, his response to pain control was disappointing and he was humanely put to sleep."