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45yearsofharness

Abandoned race 5 Cambridge.

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Rule 211a.

watching this last night was wondering as they come round the turn what was going to happen. 

Drivers seen to be looking across from the back straight and aware of incident.

Clarke of the course seemed a little confused but eventually got in position to warn the drivers although they were turning for home.

looked like the race would continue as it was at a stage were it was getting to late.

Then the siren went, the horses continued, drivers still pulling plugs and driving the horses out to the finish. 

All horses passing the winning post avoiding the incident.

these days we don't have that many incident such as this, but a couple of things of note. I would have thought someone should have been on the track 50m ahead of the crash car making sure the drivers were aware it was on the track in front of the fallen horse, also would have thought the crash cars warning lights could have been flashing as extra warning. 

Feel for the connections of all horses in this race as I see most travels from the north for nothing.

Main thing I suppose is no one hurt and all horses ok.

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We now live/operate in a PC Health & Safety world.    5 years or so ago the race would have been run to a conclusion.     It always used to happen - and damned if I can remember where, apart from ensuring horses ran wide past the incident, that any accident has been so caused.     But that world is no more - and if there's point one of a percent chance something may happen then action such as that of last night must be taken.     Respect preceding post, someone was on the track as you mentioned - the clerk of the course who was not stationery but moving alongside the field - far more effective than one guy standing on the track with the field bearing down on him.      I thought at the time when they moved the crash car from the outside to the inside of the track it was a positive move and yes it's hazard lights flashing would have been a great idea as I don't think there was any other warning lights on the course.     Re the siren - I seem to remember a similar incident at Auckland and the drivers said it was not audible until you were well into the home straight which too late.     Auckland undertook to install flashing warning lighting on the corners (did they?)     Last night of course even though the siren was sounded, arms were waved, race was abandoned etc. the field still ran past the fallen horse (incident) which does make you wonder if perhaps abandoning the race was too far on the side of cauition. 

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If you were a horse at the back of the field, could you have been guaranteed to have had sufficient room to make a run? If not, racecafers who had punted the horses at the rear of the field would have been mightily annoyed and taken the tune of 'why wasn't the run abandoned'?

59 minutes ago, eljay said:

We now live/operate in a PC Health & Safety world

But, in this case, that is good isn't it? Can harness racing afford a catastrophe of horses running into a prone horse on the track? Would you take that risk in this day and age if you were in charge? One could argue they should have called it off earlier and had the chance to rerun the race.

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I remember a race many years ago (won't mention the driver) when a similar accident occurred. The ambulance use to follow the field around and it had stopped beside the rail to assist an injured driver. The last round and the field swung wide to avoid the crash except one driver who thought all his dreams had come true and took the rails run. He run right into the rear of the ambulance.

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 Respect preceding post, someone was on the track as you mentioned - the clerk of the course who was not stationery but moving alongside the field - far more effective than one guy standing on the track with the field bearing down on him.   

Thanks for the respect.

I did mean someone as well as the clerk of the course, it was common practice when I was driving for several people to stand before an incident to form a false rail for the drivers to go around.

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One of the most spectacular races crashes in NZ Harness history. 1984 NZ Derby at Addington. I was there that day.  How no one or any horses were seriously injured is beyond belief.  And the race carried on with ambulances and dozens of people  on the track. No OSH rules in those days! 

 

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5 hours ago, harewood said:

One of the most spectacular races crashes in NZ Harness history. 1984 NZ Derby at Addington. I was there that day.  How no one or any horses were seriously injured is beyond belief.  And the race carried on with ambulances and dozens of people  on the track. No OSH rules in those days! 

The good ole days :)

Liked the special touch of the dog on the track too. What was it doing there?

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