Irish racing hits new low with Tramore abandonment farce
The slippery conditions turned racing into a lottery. Three horses hit the deck on the bend past the stands in the opening Bank Of Ireland Handicap Hurdle. Sockittothem fell and brought down Adari and Shandy Girl.
The rider of Shandy Girl, Larry Hurley, was removed to hospital with a suspected broken collar-bone, but the other two pilots involved, Adrian Lane and David Evans, escaped relatively unscathed.
The jockeys who rode in the race were unhappy with the way the bend rode and, indeed, with the general state of the track. The turn was immediately realigned.
Ruby Walsh, who partnered unplaced Miss Joppy, said: “The track is greasy and 16 runners is too many round here.’’
Once the bend was realigned the stewards were happy to allow racing go-ahead. It was to prove the wrong decision.
The second race was the mile and a half Shay Brennan Memorial Handicap, which saw Kilmoney Gamble fall on the down hill approach to the straight. Biddy Blackhurst almost went here as well.
Still the stewards, farcically, didn’t grasp the nettle.
By now senior flat jockey, Fran Berry, had described the surface as “dangerous.’’
Amazingly, the flat boys were sent back out to ride in the third, the mile and six Queally Group Handicap.
Ironically, the race was won by Berry, on Albrighton. But that was almost irrelevant, compared to what went on again at that bend past the stands.
On this occasion three more horses, Music Time, By Charlie Allen and Green Magical, either slipped or were brought down.
On dismounting in the winner’s enclosure, Berry said: “The ground is dangerous. You cannot ride a race on it, I waited until I could get a grip before doing anything.’’
Finally, the reality of the situation began to dawn on the stewards. They met with senior jockeys, trainers, clerk-of-the-course, Bill Fleming, and senior Turf Club medical officer, Dr Walter Halley, as the almost 6,500 crowd milled round wondering what was next on the agenda.
The inevitable decision ‘in the interests of safety’, to abandon was taken. The track was watered up until Monday and, on the same day, was passed fit for racing by the chief inspector of courses, Bill McLernon, and Barry Langan, who is also an inspector of courses.
According to course manager, Sue Phelan, clerk-of-the-course, Bill Fleming walked the track on the eve of racing and again yesterday morning.
It seems then that all precautions were taken and yet the jockeys, to a man, were adamant it was greasy, slippery and downright dangerous.
Overall, this was a public relations disaster. One irate punter arrived at the secretary’s office, having paid 15 at the gate and 2.50 for a racecard.
“I’ve just come in and haven’t seen a race’’, he said. He didn’t get his money back.
A couple who paid 30, also after the third had been run, were in exactly the same boat. They left Tramore that much lighter as well.
Last night Bill McLernon was making his way to Tramore. He and clerk-of-the-course, Fleming, will have the responsibility of making sure the track is fit for tonight’s racing.
As a gesture of goodwill from the management this evening’s entrance fee will be half-price.
Keith Hogan, 22 years-of-age and from Kildare town, rode his first winner aboard the Irene Oakes trained Krosno in the Bank Of Ireland Handicap Hurdle.
Jupiter Hollow, who got into the race as third reserve, looked the likely scorer when leading at the second last.
But Krosno stayed on dourly to master Jupiter Hollow in the final 10 strides.
“That’s my first in about 25 attempts’’, exclaimed a delighted Hogan.
Victory went to Dunbrody Cove, who got a flier at the start, in the Shay Brennan Memorial Handicap. She was joined off the home turn by Amiastar, but fought back well and was in control in the closing stages.
And then Fran Berry, once he and Albrighton got on an even keel, swept through late to easily beat the flattering Perugino Lady in the Queally Group Handicap.
