HORRIFIC PILE UP CHESTER SATURDAY AUGUST 30 2008

HORRIFIC PILE UP FIVE FURLONGS OUT IN THE 2.50 LISTED RACE AT CHESTER

“SIR DUKE PARTNERED BY PAT DOBBS” CLIPS THE HEALS OF “NEW GUINEA PARTNERED BY JAMIE SPENCER” CAUSING “SIR DUKE” TO FALL, BRINGING DOWN OTHERS WITH HIM, IN DARE DEVIL PILE UP.

“SIR DUKE” broke his shoulder in the fall and was put down. Also brought down was “SPEED GIFTED PARTNERED BY SEB SANDERS” with “SEB” suffering a broken leg, eventually taken to hospital. Damages suffered by all those connected and involved, to include the horses.

Headlines by Ray Gilpin reporting for the Racing Post on Sunday August 31st 2008 “Broken leg agony for champ Sanders.” AND “Sanders injured in three-horse pile-up that claims SIR DUKE.” Happened in the second race the Corbettsports.com Handicap over 1mile5f with 12 contestant’s to post.

This was the stark and negative statement given afterwards by stipendiary steward Louise Williams for the British Horseracing Regulation Authority:
“SIR DUKE” clipped the heals of “NEW GUINEA” and fell bringing down SPEED GIFTED and CHESHIRE PRINCE. We’ve viewed the film of the race and we found that the incident was not the result of any riding offence by any jockey and no action was taken.”
Is this really the best that these British Horseracing Regulatory Authority personnel can come up with when faced with a disaster as this, one of the most deadly of all errors, allowing ones horse to get so dangerously close to another runner as to clip heals … either accidentally or on purpose? Stipendiary Steward Louise Williams indifference to Pat Dobbs deadly and dangerous riding causing such disaster to so many others to included the horses.

Why does Chester Racecourse or any British Racecourse Management for that matter, allow jockey’s to go out to ride in each and any race on their tracks without warning them, beforehand that dangerous riding of any kind and whip abuse is not acceptable behaviour, and will not be tolerated in future at any time, or in any form?

How can any family hoping for a fun day out at the races, be left to witness the likes of this?

“PAT DOBBS WHO PARTNERED “SIR DUKE” said: “It was a nasty incident, but some things happen in racing that you can’t do anything about. I feel very sorry for the owners and the trainers of the horses involved – fortunately I’ve just got a cut on my hand, You just have to get back up and get on with the job and not let it harm your confidence – but my mother watched the race on TV and she just rung me and said she’s not going to watch Channel 4 again when I am riding! My ankle is sore and I expect it will stiffen up tomorrow. It was just one of those things and happened so quickly, but nine times out of ten you would not get away with it – the horse would fall the other way.”

Why did Pat Dobbs partnering Sir Duke allow this horse to get so close to New Guinea as to clip New Guinea’s heals? Was he letting his enthusiasm overcome his common sense? Or did he not bother to pay due care and attention to what he was at, loosing concentration, failing to attend properly to his duties regarding a safe passage throughout this race whilst partnering Sir Duke? If, that is he was trying to win this race? What about his duty of care to Sir Duke’s owner, trainer, handler rider? What about his duty of care toward all the other 12 partnership contestants taking part in this race?

FURTHER FACTS:
Those down to act as stewards at Chester for the British Horseracing Regulation Authority are as follows:

STEWARDS
A P PERRY, W R PATTON-SMITH, J BARLOW, SIR CHARLES LOWTHER,
D FORD, E V DORRELL, T M BELL.

STEWARDS SECRETARIES (STIPENDIARIES)
R H WESTROPP, A J BEALBY.

CLERK OF THE COURSE
ED GRETTON.

JOCKEY’S INTERVIEWED BY STEWARDS:
PAT DOBBS PARTNERED “SIR DUKE” , DEAN HESLOP PARTNERED “CHESHIRE PRINCE”, JAMIE SPENCER PARTNERED “NEW GUINEA”,
PAT COSGRAVE PARTNERED “SOLENT”, AND HAYLEY TURNER PARTNERED “COOL JUDGEMENT”. .

CONTESTANTS INVOLVED:
“SIR DUKE PARTNERED BY PAT DOBBS” owner by Mrs Jan Harris, trainer for
her, by Paul D’Arcy. A 4 year old gelding drawn (4) carrying 8-11 with a track record of
3112121. CLIPPED HEALS WITH NEW GUINEA; CAUSING SIR DUKE TO FALL
BRINGING DOWN BOTH SPEED GIFTED AND CHESHIRE PRINCE.

“NEW GUINEA PARTNERED BY JAMIE SPENCER”, owned by Godolphin, trained
by Saeed Bin Surror. A 5 year old gelding drawn (9) carrying 9-5 with a track record of
15-4343. Finished 7th how badly damaged were his heels found to be?

“SPEED GIFTED PARTNERED BY SEB SANDERS”, owned by Ronchalon Racing
(UK) Ltd, trained by LM Cumani. A 4 year old colt drawn (13) carrying 9-11 with a
track record of 151-345. Brought down in pile up. SEB has now to endure an enforced
period of time off, until his leg is properly healed.

“CHESHIRE PRINCE PARTNERED BY DEAN HESLOP” owned by DC Rutter &
H Clewlow, trained by WM Brisbourne. A 4 year old gelding drawn (10) carrying
8-11 with a track record of 0622113. Brought down in the pile up.

How much longer is it going to take for this supposed British Horseracing Regulation Authority to put its own house in order?

ENDS