Cranbourne Turf Club fined over young jockey’s death

Cranbourne Turf Club has been heavily fined after a talented jockey was killed when she was thrown from her horse while riding with a mate.

Mikaela Claridge died after falling from her horse at Cranbourne Turf Club.

A Victorian racecourse has been fined more than $200,000 after a young jockey was killed when she was thrown from her horse.

Mikaela Claridge, 22, was riding on a section of a track at Cranbourne Turf Club when her horse was startled in the early hours of August 30, 2019.

The apprentice jockey was trotting with her training partner when the two horses were spooked, causing both women to fall onto the unlit trail.

While her riding mate was able to get up, Ms Claridge suffered critical head injuries and died at the scene.

A WorkSafe investigation found the trail included several features that could potentially spook a horse in the dark.

This included tree branches encroaching onto the area above the trail, pooled water and other horses or wildlife near the trail.

Cranbourne Turf Club Inc was convicted and fined $250,000 in the County Court after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to ensure that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks arising from the conduct of its undertaking.

The company was also issued with an adverse publicity order requiring it to advertise the outcome.

The court heard it was reasonably practicable for the club to reduce health and safety risks by installing floodlights around the trail to ensure visibility outside daylight hours or limiting access to the trail to daylight hours.

WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Narelle Beer said the tragedy showed how important it was to assess health and safety risks and put control measures in place.

“Although some safety measures such as changing operating hours may seem minor, a failure to implement them can lead to unimaginably painful consequences,” she said.

“WorkSafe will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who fails in their duty to ensure their workplaces and work practices are safe and without risks to health.”

Prior to her death, Ms Claridge had overcome a serious spinal injury and returned to racing in 2017, scoring her maiden victory on her home track in Echuca just a year before the tragedy struck.

In a death notice published by her family, her parents and siblings said Ms Claridge had “mischievous humour” and a “smile which will live on in our hearts forever”.