A race needed to be dramatically halted as a result of the beginning stalls couldn’t be faraway from the observe.
It turned clear there was an issue when officers tried to flag down the sector rounding the house flip at Chelmsford on Saturday.
9 runners and riders had been travelling at greater than 35mph however needed to abruptly pull as much as keep away from the stalls, which had been nonetheless on the observe on the entrance to the house straight.
All horses and jockeys had been unhurt and the race was voided.
Jane Chapple-Hyam, who skilled runner Salamanca, informed the Racing Put up: “Once they load horses up within the stalls they flip the tractor off and I imagine when the horses jumped out the tractor would not go into gear so that they could not get it off the observe.
“They did not have sufficient time to ship the flagmen to the again straight. It was fairly scary.”
Jockey Alistair Rawlinson, who was aboard Penzance, felt all riders concerned deserved credit score for safely pulling up and avoiding any accidents.
“We had been sat second so had been one of many first to reach on the scene – it may have been a catastrophe,” he mentioned.
“The lads have proven lots of horsemanship to cease in a brief time period once we’re nearly to hit high gear.”
A racecourse assertion mentioned: “The protection of our contributors is, and all the time can be, our high precedence.
“We’re deeply relieved that no hurt got here to any of the jockeys, horses or workers concerned. This night’s incident is unprecedented in Chelmsford’s 10 years of racing and though the racecourse was in a roundabout way accountable for what occurred, we totally acknowledge our function because the racecourse staging the fixture.
“We’re dedicated to working with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and our companions to conduct an intensive investigation and be sure that occasions of this nature don’t occur once more.
“Types of reimbursements can be organized for affected connections and they are going to be contacted with additional data.”
A stewards’ report learn: “An enquiry was held into the cease flag being deployed within the closing levels of this race, because the stalls had been unable to be faraway from the course.
“Attending the enquiry was the director of racing, the clerk of the course and trainee clerk of the course, each starters, jockeys Billy Loughnane and Harry Davies, the stalls staff chief and the tractor driver.
“As all of the runners had pulled up and the choose was unable to declare a outcome, the race was declared void and a report was forwarded to the top workplace of the BHA.”