THE racing community has rallied around commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy following the tragic deaths of his wife Carol and daughters Hannah and Louise.

They were found with serious injuries at their home in Hertfordshire on Tuesday evening and were pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Police subsequently launched a manhunt for suspect Kyle Clifford and the 26-year-old was located 24 hours later at a cemetery near his home in north London.

Clifford was brought to hospital in a serious condition and on Friday, police announced he had been arrested on suspicion of committing the crossbow killings.

The industry has been flooded with messages of sympathy as they share their support for John Hunt, a racing presenter and commentator on Sky Sports Racing, as well as a longtime member of the team at BBC Radio 5 Live.

Speaking on ITV, lead commentator Richard Hoiles eloquently said; “If you spend just a few moments in John’s company, the odds are that the talk will turn to family.

“There are plenty of people in the press room who I have no idea of their family, but we all felt we knew Carol and the girls, perhaps far better than we actually did.

“In the helter-skelter of modern life, it is quite easy to lose track of the things we hold dear, but John never has. I know I hugged my kids tighter last night knowing that simple pleasure has been snatched away from one of mine and the press room’s greatest friends.

A minute’s silence was observed before racing on Thursday, with jockeys donning black armbands in solidarity with the popular figure. Commemorations continued at Doncaster on Wednesday evening and again at Ascot on Friday.