Leicester ‘lunatic’ banned for life
Inside the final half-furlong of the Cream Gorse Handicap, the penultimate race on the card, a man in a shirt and jeans ran onto the course in an attempt to race against the horses but luckily he was avoided by the field.
The spectator was immediately ejected.
“We’ve never had anything like that before, and hopefully we’ll never have it happen again,” said clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson.
“It was a moment of madness by a lunatic. Racecourses aren’t football stadiums, they’re open plan and we try to run the racecourse in a relaxed manner.
“You could put a 10 foot fence up but would that even stop someone like that? Thankfully there was no injury to either him, or the the horses and jockeys.
“Security were on him straight away and obviously he’ll be banned for life.”
* Connections of G Force will regroup and take stock after the colt met with defeat at Sandown on Saturday.
The David O’Meara-trained colt had to settle for third behind Wind Fire in the Listed Scurry Stakes, beaten just over a length having looked like he might win entering the final furlong.
Tim Palin, for owners Middleham Park Racing said: “We were worried about the draw beforehand and I think the draw got him beat.
“It was a messy race and I think we will just put a line through it and judge on him his next run. We’ll see what the options are.”
