‘No one to blame’ in Shred’s May race fall

An inquiry into a nasty race fall at Townsville’s Cluden Park has been concluded by Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards. Find out the results of their inquiry here.

Jockey Rachel Shred hits the Cluden Park surface after taking fall in race.

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Tablelands apprentice Rachel Shred’s nasty fall at Townsville in May has been declared a general racing incident, with none of the other riders involved suspended or fined.

Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards finally held the inquiry into Shred’s tumble on Sunday at Innisfail, which has put the emerging hoop on the sidelines since.

The 22-year-old Shred was originally facing almost 12 months away from race riding, fearing an ACL tear, among other injuries, but further investigations by doctors handed a much more positive outlook recently, with Shred now expected to be back riding light work in around a month.

With several jockeys involved in Shred’s fall, which occurred at a wet Cluden Park, many feared potentially heavy suspensions were on the way, but stewards could not pin point any of those involved who had directly led to the fall near the 1000m.

Jockey Rachel Shred hits the Cluden Park surface after taking fall in race.

“In viewing of the race-day film it was established the approaching the 1000m Foxy Feline laid in despite the efforts of rider Krysten Swaffer brushing Keighley Sun, ridden by Shred, which momentarily raced ungenerously and shifted in bumping Wanderson D’Avila and Purple Grey on the hind quarters causing that runner to become unbalanced and shift out tightening the running of Keighley Sun, which blundered, dislodging rider Shred,” stewards said in their report from the incident.

“As Stewards could attribute no blame to any one rider no further action was warranted and the inquiry was finalised.”

Stewards heard evidence from apprentice Shred in the company of her master Janel Ryan and stable foreman Ronnie Ryan, apprentice Swaffer in the company of her master Trevor Rowe and jockey D’Avila.

Stable foreman Ronnie Ryan, a former rider himself, noted that, after speaking with other jockeys that day at Townsville, many hoops were riding too tight for the wet conditions across the program.

“Hopefully Rachel will be back in just over a month on some light duties,” Ryan said.

A similar scenario occurred with Shred last year.

A number of jockeys were involved in a fall at Cooktown, which put her out of riding with a wrist injury, before a stewards inquiry found the incident was not the fault of any rider in the race, and as such, concluded the inquiry.

Winners of the fourth leg of the 2019 Magic Millions FNQ Up and Coming Stayers series, horse Run Hoof Run and jockey Rachel Shred with strapper.

Meanwhile, the Tolga-based Ryan stable has indicated we have seen the last of the impressive Bryan’s Babe on a racetrack.

The five-year-old bay mare won four straight races in north Queensland earlier this year but has finished back in the field across her last two efforts.

Ryan suggested the breeding barn may be her next step, after winning seven career races from over 30 starts.

Bryan’s Babe.

Racing in north Queensland heads to Cairns Jockey Club this Thursday for a big program, before looking south to Home Hill for country action this Saturday.

Originally published as ‘No one to blame’ in Shred’s May race fall