AN investigation is under way into a fire that ripped through prestigious Newmarket stables owned by top trainer Luca Cumani.

Thirty fire fighters tackled the blaze at Bedford House stables in Bury Road after fire broke at around 10.30am on Monday.

Flames spread to the roof of the stable block, from where smoke was seen emerging.

Fire crews from Newmarket, Soham, Burwell, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds and Ixworth were called to the scene, where the roof of a stable block measuring 30m by 5m was well alight.

Crews removed tiles to provide better access for fighting the flames.

The stables were once home to Derby-winners Kahyasi and High Rise - both trained by Mr Cumani.

Relief crews were mobilised from Clare, Elmswell, Brandon, Debenham, Needham Market and Sudbury fire stations.

Crews worked to cut away, damp down and strip the roof. A stop message was received at 2.46pm.

Luckily no one –horse or human- was injured and Mr Cumani later tweeted his praise of fire fighters for “an incredibly quick response and effective action.”

His assistant Olly Williams- who tweeted some of these photos- said had it have happened an hour later during the lunch period then it was unlikely anyone could have got the horses out safely.

Mr Cumani declined to speculate on the cause of the fire, although in 1997 the same stables caught fire on consecutive nights although no charges were ever brought and arson was never proven.

He has owned the stables for three decades or so and they have housed Derby winners among a crop of major prize winning horses.

Horses in his care include Melbourne Cup hopes Mount Athos and Quest For Peace.