Leading Queesnalnd rider Boris Thornton was rushed to hospital after his well-tried mount SHOOTING FOR GOLD (Shooting To Win – Amber’s Crown) went off in the gates.
In rare scenes punters and viewers held their collective breaths when the horse just reared in the gates, panicked and tried to flip himself backwards in terror.
Thornton was catapulted out the back and crashed heavily to the ground.
TV camera’s quickly reacted and stopped filming the incident as the stricken horse looked like badly injuring himself.
The race, the $200k George Moore Stakes at Gr 3 level, was won by the favourite ZOUSTYLE (Zoustar – Fashion) who firmed to odds on when Shooting For Gold, the one expected to trouble him, was withdrawn at the gates.
It was the geldings 9th win from 9 starts in Queensland and took his earnings past the half million mark.
Shooting For Gold was walked away calmly from the gates a few minutes after the incident and looks to be uninjured.
Thornton, however, was a concern for everyone behind the gates the moment he hit the ground.
No word on his condition as yet.
He was taken to hospital by the course ambulance so it held up the next race by 20minutes.