Tony Gollan runners in miracle escape as horse float slides down Bruce Highway embankment

HOPFGARTEN found his best form to win Saturday’s Ascot Handicap at Caloundra, but it was a race run in a cloud of darkness after a shocking float accident.

HOPFGARTEN found his best form to win Saturday’s Ascot Handicap at Caloundra, but it was a race run in a cloud of darkness after a float accident forced the scratching of three runners from the Tony Gollan stable.

Casual Choice, Frespanol and Whiskey Allround were all in a float, along with stablemate Jetsonic, that lost control on the Bruce Highway and slid down an embankment 20km south of the Corbould Park track.

Racing Queensland’s Matt Henderson left Corbould Park with a number of other staff to attend the scene and was finding it hard to fathom how everyone survived.

“It’s amazing nobody was killed,” Henderson said.

“It’s gone down an 8m drop and ended up on its side.

“Firefighters had to peel back the roof and then cut away the frame to free the horses.”

It’s amazing nobody was killed. It’s gone down an 8m drop and ended up on its side. Firefighters had to peel back the roof and then cut away the frame to free the horses.

- Racing Queensland’s Matt Henderson

Vets were on the scene to sedate the horses, who were taken to Tony Doherty’s clinic at Corbould Park for observation on Saturday night.

Gollan praised the helpers and his staff and felt it a miracle something much worse hadn’t resulted.

“At this stage it looks like the horses have just suffered abrasions,” he said.

“Casual Choice is the worst of them, he had a bad cut, but we won’t know more for a couple of days.

“It was a pretty wild scene. It’s the most bizarre thing I have seen.

“The staff were just awesome and we will go and have a few drinks tonight.”

Tony Gollan with the four horses that were involved in the accident. Picture: Facebook

Earlier, chief steward Allan Reardon said he wouldn’t have hesitated to abandon the meeting if more staff were ­required from the track to help at the scene.

At the time the Ascot was run, it was unclear what the toll may have been from the accident.

The good thing is that no people were hurt, but we’re all thinking of the horses and just hoping they can come away as best as possible.

- jockey Damian Browne

Winning jockey Damian Browne praised the effort of Hopfgarten to win, but his thoughts were more with those involved in the accident.

“It was a great effort by my horse, albeit under circumstances none of us want to see,” Browne said.

“The good thing is that no people were hurt, but we’re all thinking of the horses and just hoping they can come away as best as possible.

“It has put a dampener on what should have been a great day here at the Sunshine Coast and all of us in the jockeys’ room are thinking of Tony (Gollan) and all of those involved.”

The truck rests on its side after sliding down the embarkment. Picture: Facebook

Hopfgarten had a lamentable spring campaign which started with a luckless run in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and went south from there.

Browne believes he is best in races up to a mile and thinks he can win another feature as the carnival unfolds.

Hopfgarten (right) finishes strongly to win the Ascot Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

“Worthy Cause challenged me really strongly, but my bloke dug in for the fight,” Browne said.

John Zielke said runner-up Worthy Cause would now head to the Prime Minister’s Cup and be very hard to beat after his pleasing return.

Look To The Stars wins the Princess Stakes at the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

PRINCESS TRIUMPH WRITTEN IN THE STARS

DAVID Vandyke made the perfect start to his new training life in Queensland and introduced a young rider who is likely to become a far more regular face in the Sunshine State after Look To The Stars won the Princess Stakes.

The filly, winner of the BRC Sires last year, landed a huge betting move, firming from an opening $4 (better was offered earlier in the week) to start the $2.50 favourite.

Look To The Stars was ridden by Blake Spriggs, who has enjoyed a successful association with Vandyke in NSW, as the chosen rider for Waratah Thoroughbreds.

Spriggs has won two features on Sir John Hawkwood, who is a leading hope for the stable over coming weeks for the Queensland carnival.

Blake Spriggs, 24, said he was likely to spend more time in Queensland if Vandyke sent a request for his services.

“I did my apprenticeship with Gai (Waterhouse) and had success, but the past few years I’ve been based at the provincials,” Spriggs said.

“I am trying to get more rides in the city, but the quality of riders in Sydney at the moment is world class and trying to break in there isn’t easy, so if the opportunity comes up to have five or six rides up here, I will jump at the chance.

“David has been very loyal to me and it’s nice to win another feature race for him.

“I rode her last time at Randwick and thought the run was good so when David asked me to ride her up here I was happy to do so.

“You look through her form and she’d run third to Press Statement last year, so it looked good form for a race like this.”

Vandyke said it was a tidy effort by the filly to hang on and win from Queen Of Wands.

“It’s hard to hit the front at the 400m at the Sunshine Coast and hang on,” he said.

Vandyke has a select team in Queensland for the carnival, headed by his Group 1 filly Yankee Rose and intends to build up his team steadily, with 32 boxes at his disposal now he has moved to Caloundra.

“Wins like this are great because it was for Darby Racing who have supported me in my move here and it was my first runner from my new stable.’’

Trainer David Vandyke with jockey Blake Spriggs after Look To The Stars’ win at the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

Originally published as Tony Gollan runners in miracle escape as horse float slides down Bruce Highway embankment