Racehorse has won 19 times and €100,000 in prize money despite being blind

Laghat, a nine-year-old Italian racehorse has won an incredible 19 times despite being blind. Laghat, whose name means 'kick', was born with a fungal infection in both his eyes which left him virtually unable to see. But he has stunned his jockey owner and punters by overcoming the disability to win nearly 100,000 euro in prize money.

Based in San Rossore near Pisa, Laghat is owned and trained by jockey Federico De Paola and shares his stable with a fellow horse jokingly described as 'his girlfriend'. His owner has no idea how he manages to steer clear of other horses when he competes and even kicks in with an extra burst off speed as he nears the finishing line.



Federico said: 'It's amazing. I really don't know how he does it. He had a fungal infection in his eyes when he was born and it has left him virtually blind. He can make out shadows but that's about it. I only entered him for the races because I thought it would be some exercise for him, but I was amazed when he won and he has kept on winning.

'He has won 19 races and some of them have been important ones - in one race he won the 25,000-euro top prize. He has a sixth sense which tells him where to put his legs - when we approach the finish line it's him who gives me the signal and gives me that extra burst of speed. We have never had a crash with any of the other horses in any of the races we have been in and sometimes there can be as many as 16 in a field. I have never had a horse like this before in my time as a jockey and an owner.'

With video.