An unexpected and tense scene unfolded at Chelmsford racecourse on Saturday evening during the final race, as a technical issue with the starting stalls left jockeys scrambling to avoid a dangerous collision, ultimately leading officials to void the race.
The drama occurred in the 1m2f handicap, a nine-horse contest that initially began without issue. As the field of runners broke smoothly from the gates, the race looked to be running as planned. However, as the horses approached the home turn at Chelmsford’s all-weather track, it became apparent there was a serious problem. Track officials waved stop flags, frantically attempting to alert the jockeys that the starting stalls, positioned at the entrance to the home straight, had been left stranded on the track and could not be cleared in time.
The horses, moving at around 36 miles per hour and negotiating the final bend, had to pull up abruptly to avoid a potential catastrophe. The situation was especially tense because the jockeys were not expecting an obstruction ahead, and the tight, fast-paced nature of the race left little time to react.
Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam, who was overseeing the 11-4 joint-favorite Salamanca, explained that the issue arose when the tractor, typically used to remove the stalls from the track, experienced a mechanical failure. “Once the horses are loaded into the stalls, they switch the tractor off. But this time, when the horses broke from the gates, the tractor wouldn’t go into gear, which meant they couldn’t clear it off the track in time,” she said. “There wasn’t enough time to alert the jockeys before they rounded the home turn, which made it very frightening.”
Salamanca’s jockey, Jonny Peate, led the pack and had to rely on warnings from fellow jockeys to avoid the stalls just in time. He recounted the terrifying moments on the track, “It was just like any other mile-and-a-quarter race at Chelmsford—we were halfway around the bend, going at a strong pace on good horses, and building speed with each stride. You don’t normally look too far ahead when you’re racing at that speed, so when I heard Ali Rawlinson [on Penzance] beside me yelling ‘woah, woah,’ it was a shock. I looked up, saw the stalls, and realized I needed to pull up immediately.”
Peate noted that Kieran O’Shea, the race starter, along with some of the stall handlers, had rushed down the track towards them to assist in signaling the riders. “If Kieran and the team hadn’t intervened as quickly as they did, it could have been a far worse situation. The stalls were just beyond the turn, and we were so close. We’re very fortunate that everyone came out of this without harm.”
After the race was voided, Chelmsford City Racecourse issued a statement, acknowledging the disruption and expressing relief that all horses, jockeys, and staff emerged unscathed. “Chelmsford City Racecourse apologizes to all connections, participants, spectators, and bettors affected by the events in Race Nine. The safety of our participants is, and always will be, our top priority. We are deeply relieved that no harm came to any of the jockeys, horses, or staff involved,” the statement read. “This evening’s incident is unprecedented in Chelmsford’s ten years of racing. While the racecourse was not directly responsible for what occurred, we fully recognize our role as the host venue and are committed to working with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to conduct a thorough investigation. Reimbursements for affected connections are being arranged, and they will receive further information shortly.”
The stewards’ inquiry later involved jockeys Billy Loughnane and Harry Davies, who were riding Wadacre Gomez and Intricacy, respectively. The inquiry’s report stated: “An investigation was held due to the deployment of the stop flag in the closing stages of the race, as the starting stalls could not be removed from the track. Present for the inquiry were the director of racing, the clerk of the course, the trainee clerk, both starters, the jockeys, the stalls team leader, and the tractor driver. After confirming that all runners had pulled up and no finish could be declared, the race was voided, and a report was forwarded to the BHA’s head office for further review.”
In what many would call a lucky outcome, both riders and horses emerged unharmed from what could have been a far more dangerous situation. Chelmsford’s assurance of a full investigation has been seen as an important step toward preventing similar incidents in the future, especially given the potential safety risks that were narrowly avoided in this instance.
Leave a Reply