Campanologist wins at Greyville last Tuesday
A potentially fatal accident was averted at Greyville last Tuesday evening, when a loose runner charged head on into the path of the field as they stormed for home. Besides the catastrophic implications of the freak incident, it appears that life goes on and nothing will change.
One can only wonder whether somebody actually needs to be killed or be badly injured before the process is streamlined and the flaws are ironed out? While the particular occurrence was unique for most of those who have been watching Greyville racing for decades, it does pose questions about procedure.
We would suggest that both the National Horseracing Authority and the racing operator should be taking a long hard look at what happened. The Video Vision Maiden Plate saw a field of 16 fillies go to post at the 2000m marker for the first leg of the popular Place Accumulator bet.
The Kumaran Naidoo- trained London Blews was misbehaving in the pre- race parade and it was hardly surprising that she was a handful at the stalls and proving intractable. The Stipes report indicates that she was withdrawn at 17h56.
The field was then sent on their way, and things were going just fine until they turned into the home straight. Commentator Craig Peter’s horrified observation that a loose horse was on its way in the opposite direction had everybody sitting bolt upright.
The Stipes report explains what happened – well sort of. Once scratched, London Blews reared and fly-jumped and broke free from Jockey A Mgudlwa and the handler at the start after the field had raced into the bend. This filly then bolted anti-clockwise and towards the oncoming field on the outside running rail.
Fate was kind. The errant filly had chosen to dash up the outside rail and was thus some way from the pack. It ended happily, with the favourite Campanologist scoring an overdue win. Winning jockey Sean Cormack dismissed the incident, calling it ‘nobody’s fault.’
Would he, or his colleagues, have felt the same, one wonders, if London Blews had chosen an inside rails run? The sad thing is that it could happen again and surely the purpose of funding an expensive animal like the National Horseracing Authority means that not only the integrity of the sport should be maintained, but that safety issues should be paramount?
It’s called proactivity. It’s called adding value. It’s called professionalism. Surely a board of enquiry should have been established as an absolute minimum to reviews the procedure? And it is not about individual blame , it is about remedying the shortcomings to ensure it won’t happen again.
There are many questions:
Where was the guard tape at the rear of the stalls?
Was the young rider at fault and did he obey instructions?
Did he commence his journey back to the parade ring while the race was on?
Was the rider in the saddle when the filly broke away?
How did this filly get certified tractable in the first place?
Why was she not tested for banned substances?
Should the starter not have delayed the start, if the filly was as ‘crazy’ as everybody seems to think she is, and rather ensure she was properly under control?
The book is closed with exactly one paragraph on the stipes report: In view of the Starter’s report concerning London Blews and this incident, London Blews is suspended indefinitely until re-passed tractable on a race day with a companion to the satisfaction of the Stipendiary Board and the Starter.
That’s just not good enough.
