HURDLING MISHAP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23276, 20 February 1939, Page 8

HURDLING MISHAP

SEVEN HORSES FALL SEVERAL JOCKEYS INJURED TE RAPA RACES ACCIDENT A sensational accident in which seven horses fell at the first fence occurred during the running of the Frankton Hurdles at the Waikato Racing Club's Summer Meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday. Most of the horses and riders involved escaped serious injury, but the aged gelding Cynical Smile had to be destroyed and R. Ferguson, rider of Seven Seas, was removed to the Waikato Hosptial with a broken leg. The field comprised lo runners, and the trouble arose when the leader, Seven Seas, swerved and fell at the first fence, causing general confusion among the horses which were following and bringing down Donegal (R. E. Thomson), Rozel (J. F. Fergus), Hopalong (J. H. Mcßae), Star Artist (P.; M. Brady), Aramis (J. Nicolson) and Cynical Smile (J. Winder). The horses and riders fell in all directions, and it was remarkable that more of them were not very seriously injured. The accident is probably without parallel in New Zealand racing. There have been numerous instances of fields in jumping races being seriously depleted by falls, but it is not thought that seven hoi*ses have ever before fallen at one fence. The race was given additional incident by the fact that Forest Lake lost her rider as a result of a faulty jump at the second fence. The other jockeys injured besides Ferguson were P. M. Brady, injured shoulder, H. Turvev, sprained "hand, and J. H. Mcßae, bruised back. As far as could be ascertained at the time, none of the horses, with the exception of Cynical Smile, was injured.