Timely reminder to expect the unexpected

GIVEN the fantastic safety record that horse racing has nowadays, it is easy to forget that this can be a dangerous occupation.

Where horses are concerned, you just have to expect the unexpected and there was a very scary incident at Punchestown on Wednesday which served as a reminder of how unpredictable they are.

Kathleen’s Fancy was riderless, having fallen in the second race. Just as she was coming up to the last bend, she decided to run through the plastic railing and then jumped over the gate into the enclosure.