Jockey Stretton recovers after horror fall
Conditional jockey Clare Stretton survived a horrific fall at Ludlow today in a race that saw seven of the 14 runners disqualified for taking the wrong course.
Stretton was sent flying from her mount Mizinky at the first flight in the Tanners Claret Juvenile Novices’ Selling Hurdle, which meant that the obstacle had to be omitted on the final circuit while she was attended to by paramedics.
As the runners turned into the home straight where the field split into three groups, Stretton was still on the ground at the side of the dolled off hurdle.
A trio of the runners chose to go around the outside of the obstacle and as a result avoided the stricken rider.
However, some of the field went on to the chase course and the remainder went to the inside of the hurdle and they were forced to swerve to avoid Stretton and the paramedics.
The 20-1 winner Dream Falcon kept the race after jockey Rodi Greene was deemed to have taken the correct outside course, along with La Rose (Robert Thornton) and Margarets Wish (Carl Llewellyn), who both finished well beaten, but were later promoted to second and third respectively.
An air ambulance was called to rush the rider to hospital, but the service was later cancelled after Stretton regained consciousness.
“She has been taken to Hereford hospital, but she was conscious when she went,” Mizinky’s trainer, Bill Turner, said after racing.
“She was badly concussed but there are no broken bones and they are just keeping her in overnight for observation. Hopefully she will be released tomorrow.
“Somebody said the horse hit her in the face and knocked her out before the hurdle. I didn’t see it but that filly can carry her head a bit high and she has dived through the wing,” Turner added.
Stretton’s mount was one of four runners not to complete in the two-mile contest, with the remaining three all being pulled-up before two out.
Apart from the horses officially placed first, second and third, the other seven runners, who completed, were all disqualified for taking the wrong course.
The seven riders involved – Marcus Foley, Timmy Murphy, Mark Nicolls, James Davies, Paddy Brennan, Antony Evans and Gabriel Hannon – were each banned for 19 days, 12 for taking the wrong course and seven for failing to pull up, under Rule 156 (iii).
The suspensions are due to start on December 29.
The incident followed on from a similar episode at Towcester on Monday where the first five home were thrown out after taking the incorrect course after three fences in the home straight were dolled off due to the low sun.
John Maxse, director of public relations for the Jockey Club, outlined the serious nature of today’s incident.
He said: “It is very disappointing and frustrating that this unfortunate incident has occurred.
“The fact that the jockeys today were all given 19-day suspensions demonstrates how the Ludlow stewards concluded that there were not the mitigating circumstances, which enabled the amateurs involved in taking the wrong course at Towcester earlier in the week to escape a ban.
“It is the responsibility of the riders to know what course to take. The map in the weighing room was correctly marked and clearly showed that the hurdles in the home straight should be bypassed on the left – the stands’ side.
“The procedures for bypassing a fence were also correctly carried out by the Ludlow officials.
"Three senior riders were in no doubt about what course to take.
“Of greatest concern is how close the riders who took the wrong route came to compromising the safety of Claire Stretton, who was unconscious and being treated by paramedics at the time.
“Safety is paramount and the reason why we have to adopt in tough line in dealing with such cases, in particular when it involves the passing of an obstacle where an injured jockey or horse is receiving treatment.”
