FIREFIGHTERS from Swindon were called to a blaze at a horse racing yard.

Lambourn trainer Jamie Osborne spoke of the "petrifying" blaze on Saturday morning, which ripped through a staff bungalow in the early hours. Stables staff managed to rescue the horses from the stables.

Mr Osborne's filly Constanzia went on to win at Chelmsford later that day. The horse was one of those closest to the flames.

Speaking to Racing TV's Luck on Sunday, the horse trainer said: "These animals never cease to amaze me, they are incredible.

"For her to do that was extraordinary."

He said of the fire: "The wind really got up and there were a couple of horses where the flames were virtually coming into their stables and we just couldn't get them out. We were frantically trying just to wet those buildings, in order that it didn't spread.

"It was fairly scary - I've never heard a noise like it, and we were trying to control the uncontrollable. The consequences of not controlling it were going to be horrendous.

"The house had virtually gone by the time six fire engines arrived - not their fault at all, they had to come from Swindon and Newbury, so it took a bit longer than ideal."