A third statue in two months has been stolen from Hobsons Bay.
Requiem for a Champion, installed at the site of the former Williamstown Racecourse in the Altona Coastal Park, was noticed missing on Monday.
The 2007 statue by Yvonne George features a bronze stint migratory bird atop a galloping horse.
Altona Village Traders Association president Kim Walsh noticed the horse was gone while driving along Racecourse Road at Altona.
He said it was a further blow following the theft of two statues of marine creatures from Altona Pier in August.
“They don’t realise how important the sculptures are to our history, especially following on from two of the statues from the end of our pier being stolen,” Mr Walsh said.
“They’re poor sad souls and they don’t value the history of our area here in Hobsons Bay.
“To think that it could be just sitting in someone’s backyard or that they’ve used it for scrap metal, that’s gut wrenching.
“It just rips your heart out to have to think there are people out there who just have no respect for our history.”
The theft has been reported to Hobsons Bay council, which commissioned the artwork.
It’s the second time the statue has been targeted – the stint was stolen in 2014.
Hobsons Bay mayor Angela Altair said she was left dumbfounded at the selfish and senseless act.
“To deliberately target and damage community assets by vandalising or stealing public art, it’s about as low as you can get,” she said.
“To see this happen again is so upsetting and disappointing and, ultimately, it’s our community that suffers.”
She said the statue was a beloved reminder of the former Williamstown Racecourse where Phar Lap won the Underwood Stakes in 1931.
In March, a bronze statue of a walking man was stolen from the Thomas Street entry to McCormack Park at Laverton.
