Spectacular Smash In Addington Race

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28554, 7 April 1958, Page 10

Spectacular Smash In Addington Race

One of the most spectacu’ar race smashes seen at Addington •xxurred with just less than two furlongs to run in the Easter Cup' on the last day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting ClubSjj Easter meeting on Saturday. [ An 14 horses in a bunched fields were involved in the incident and* 1 it appeared most fortunate that any horses were left standing to continue the race. Just before the two furlongs, i, Invicta, driven by S. D. Edge. ? moved up to shade the leader. k Don HalL driven by R- D. Teahen.' Invicta was very close to Don Hall which put a foot into the stavs of the near side wheel ofInvicta’s sulky. Both horses fell and Teahen was thrown under his horse. In ar. instant the other 12 were on top of the fallen horses Drivers made vahant attempts to pull their horses up. but as they were racing at 30 miles an hour, there was little hope of success. Canyon, which was third on the rails, went over the fallen horses' first and then there was a mass of buckling sulkies and galloping horses spread right across the track N L Berkett, driver of Prince Polka, was tossed from; the sulky but he was the only ■ ether horseman to lose his sea*-' C. R. Berkett. driver of Light Nurse, was tossed several feet into the air and could be plainly seen above the backs of the horses. He came down in his seat again Derive ran into Glint and a “wheel of Glint’s sulky caught in ?a shaft of Derives sulky. Then Dresden Lady canoned into them i and ricocheted to the outside of 'the track m a gallop. _ j Belmer. which ultimately; won the race, was about fifth ou* Sfrom the fence when the acciderr occurred She was knocked wid* on the track and her sulky balanced on one wheel for many yards. Just as it appeared likely ; •that S A. Edwards would be :tossed from the sulky, he gained his balance and managed to get the other wheel back to the ground f Lady Belmer raced clear a! the ifurlong and. althoush tiring badly, lasted long enough to beat L? Mignon by a length and a half Four lengths further back eame Trueco and Highland Air. with a long gap to the other four t horses which completed the 1 course.

Many of the large crowd standing at the top of the straight jumped the fence and watched a< officials untangled Don Hall s sulky to enable the horse to be .moved and so allow St. John Ambulance officers to drag Teahen ciear of the horse. ! Teaher. who received injuries to his ribs and bruising, and Edge were both taken to hospital Tea her was admitted. Edge later returned to the course with a medical clearance to drive. He was examined again on the course and. although he was limping badly, he was allowed to dnveFame in the Wilkin Handicap Edge received a kick on the head from a Symg hoof in the accident, but apart from a split skull cap. was no damage. An inquiry was opened into the accident, but it was adjourned until Teahen is available to give evidence.