Bathurst races called off after horse slips over, jockey hurt

Racing at Bathurst was abandoned on Friday after a horse slipped and fell on the home turn, prompting concerns over track safety.

Jockey Adrian Layt was taken to hospital with neck discomfort after his mount Sharbino lost its footing while hanging out rounding the final bend in the Bathurst Regional Security Maiden Plate (1400m).

The Gary Nickson-trained runner was shifting into the three-wide line when the incident occurred, resulting in Layt being dislodged.

Following the fall, stewards immediately conducted an inspection of the track and consulted with senior riders before making the decision to abandon the remainder of the meeting.

“Following a horse slipping in the first event, stewards conducted a track inspection and after consulting with a delegation of senior riders, stewards have deemed the surface unsuitable for racing and as such the remainder of the meeting has been postponed,” Racing NSW stewards said in a statement posted on X.

The incident was attributed to the firmness of the surface, with the Central West region experiencing extreme heat in the lead-up to the meeting.

No further races were conducted following the opening event as safety concerns took precedence.