FATAL ACCIDENT AT MOONEE VALLEY RACES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7792, 24 February 1886, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT AT MOONEE VALLEY RACES.

* At the Moonee Valley meeting, held on Feb. 6, in one of the races, the La Rose Handicap, there was a serious mishap, which ended fatally. Ten horses came out. As they went round the turn from the lime yard to the back stretch, Childe Harold suddenly went down, and Phantom, after blundering over him and struggling along for some distance, also lost his legs, and at the same time unseated his rider, Ellis. Either by stumbling over the fallen horses or swerving sharply to avoid a collision, Achmet, Genoe, Bekley, and Violet all rolled over in succession. It seemed for a moment as if the accident were almost as serious as that of the Caulfield Cup. The five jockeys were quickly on their feet, however, all evidently uninjured ; but little McDonald, who rode Violet, remained on the ground. On examination by Drs Backhouse and Owen, at Mr Cox’s private residence, it was found that M'Donald had sustained concussion and laceration of the brain, his injuries being so serious that his removal to the Alfred Hospital at the earliest possible opportunity was recommended by the medical men. He lingered until the Monday following, when he expired.