Those involved have requested changes to the race stop protocol. in a race on saturday night where the horses narrowly avoided colliding with a set of starting posts that were left stranded on the track by a disabled tractor.

Fast-acting riders were able to take evasive action to avoid a catastrophe at Chelmsford, after being alerted to the unexpected presence of the concession stands by the frantic waving of the flag of the starter, who had raced to the finishing bend to alert runners.

Despite traveling at speeds approaching 40 mph as they approached the home stretch, the horses and riders were able to stop about 100 meters before reaching the obstacle, which was stuck in the track between the two and one furlong markings. .

In a statement issued after the race, Chelmsford said the incident was unprecedented and he was “deeply relieved” that no one was injured, but added: “While the racecourse was not directly responsible for what happened, we fully acknowledge our role. like the racecourse that will host the meeting”.

Jane Chapple-Hyam, who saddled Salamanca in the 1m2f handicap race, said the tractor used to pull out the course stops after the start “wouldn’t start” and that officials “didn’t have enough time” to send no one to signal to the riders when the horses were in the backstretch.

Jockey Harry Davies, who rode Intricacy, and Daniel Kubler, who trains Andaleep in partnership with his wife, Claire, expressed their wish that the race stop system would be changed to ensure riders could be alerted more quickly to reduce the possibility of a repetition. of Saturday’s events.

Davies said: “I’m very grateful that everyone was able to stop well – that’s the big relief of it all. I saw the flag as we were rounding the bend and all the riders started shouting to stop us as quickly as you can because there were only half a stadium to do it before reaching where the stalls were.

“What stood out to us the most was that there was no one with a flag on the backstretch and we were all a little confused as to why that was. Speaking afterwards, we all felt that that’s what we all felt should be the case”. races like this in the future where they turn around past the start.

“It’s pretty miraculous that something didn’t happen and they were all good horses with good mouths that responded to us quickly. Younger or more inexperienced horses tend to run with their blood high and can’t always be stopped as quickly, so we were lucky in many ways.”

The racers approached the stalls at nearly 40 mph but were able to stop in time.

Andaleep had been right behind the leaders as the horses approached the home stretch, with Kubler, who watched the race from home, “worried about what might happen” as television cameras spun and showed the stalls on the track.

He said: “When you have races where they go two laps, do you need someone away from the stalls who can warn the jockeys beforehand?

“Other countries have much more obvious warning signs. James (Finch), owner of Andaleep, has horses in France and they have sirens and flashing lights, for example, to warn riders.

“Ultimately, it’s hard to put the blame on anyone, but the sport needs to be as safe as possible and there are definitely elements that can be improved in terms of warning riders when something is wrong. That’s the key point of all of this.” “.

The race was canceled and stewards interviewed various parties in an attempt to determine why the stalls had been stranded. A report has been sent to the BHA, where further investigations will be carried out into how the race stop protocol was implemented and what other factors may have contributed to what happened.

A BHA spokesperson said: “Stewards at Chelmsford investigated the circumstances which led to the display of the stop flag during Saturday’s final race and determined that the stalls could not be removed from the course.

“A report has been submitted to BHA head office and further investigations will now be carried out to understand how this incident occurred, including how race stopping protocols were carried out.”

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Drama in Chelmsford with riders forced to take evasive action after stalls left stranded on track

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