Tears flowed freely at Doomben on Saturday when Secrets Untold fatally snapped his shoulder in full view of the crowd and forced the stoppage of a race for the first time in memory.
Secrets Untold, a nine-year-old gelding having his 77th start, stumbled and dislodged jockey Scott Seamer as the big field thundered out of the straight on the first lap of the 2020m race.
Seamer and Secrets Untold lay prone on the track as barrier attendants assembled a man-made barricade around the pair while stewards signalled to other jockeys to restrain their mounts as the field approached the home straight on the second lap.
Seamer was momentarily knocked unconscious and had no recollection of the horrific incident when he returned to the enclosure, and Secrets Untold was put down.
Chief steward Wade Birch said the incident was the first of its kind in his memory.
“We’ve never had to stop a race to avoid a fallen horse and/or jockey in my time,” Birch said.
“There was a similar incident in the Toowoomba Cup about 10 years ago when a horse reared at the start and knocked itself out but the field went around it.
“We called the race off today as the field approached the 1100 metres.
“In the interest and safety of the jockey we had no other option and it was the best thing to do.”
Stewards held an immediate inquiry and found nobody at fault.
AAP TURF
