Son of Tipperary horse trainer dies in Argentina

The son of a leading Irish race horse trainer has died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while travelling in South America.

Christopher Morris, whose father is Michael 'Mouse' Morris, was in Argentina after touring for several months and had plans to return to Ireland to open a restaurant.

A chef, from Fethard in Co Tipperary, he was found dead in an apartment in the city of Las Heras in Mendoza on Monday along with another man, named locally as 37-year-old Diego Suarez.

Mr Morris, the respected and well-liked national hunt trainer, said the family were devastated and struggling to accept their loss.

“He was my son, he was the best,” he said.

“He was the only person who had his head screwed on.

“We’re devastated.It’s shocking. It’s unbelievable, I just can’t believe it.”

It is understood a friend contacted the Morris family on Monday to break the news.

Liaising with family

Consular staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs have been liaising with them since but it is not clear when they will be able to repatriate his body.

Known as Tiffer to some of his friends, Christopher had been working as a chef for several years, recently in Kildare.

Mr Morris said his son went off travelling several months ago as a final fling before settling down and opening his own restaurant.

“He wanted to open up his own restaurant,” the trainer said.

“He’d been working for seven or eight years and wanted to do this, to get away, before he settled down.

“He just wanted to get it out of his system and get ideas for the business and for the menus.”

Mr Morris said authorities said they were investigating if the two men died in the apartment after inhaling carbon monoxide.

Local media reported a neighbour raising the alarm after seeing water coming under the door of the apartment on Monday and no-one responding to knocks.

Christopher was found lying on a bed and Mr Suarez in the bathroom.

The 64-year-old trainer has been a prominent figure in Irish horse racing for over 30 years and counts the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup success with Michael O'Leary's War Of Attrition one of his glory days.

As a jockey, he enjoyed taking the crown of the Queen Mother Champion Chase in successive years in the 1970s at the famous venue.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said officials were aware of the case and were providing consular assistance to the family.

PA