Naples: An excavation in Pompeii has unearthed a villa and a stable containing the remains of an ancient racehorse.

The villa is located outside the walls to the north of the Pompeii archaeological park, in an area called Civita Giuliana.

It was found thanks to the illegal diggings of a group of tomb robbers, after an investigation conducted by Carabinieri police.

Archeologists immediately made a plaster cast of the animal, which appears to be surprisingly big, and probably belonged to a high-ranking family.

Pompeii officials displayed a cast of the horse, which appeared to have been lying on its left flank when it died.