Vets rush to horse float accident near Caloundra races

WITNESSES to Saturday’s float accident were full of praise for everyone involved in the rescue of the horses.

WITNESSES to Saturday’s float accident were full of praise for everyone involved in the rescue of the horses.

Those that saw the scene regarded it as a miracle that no person or horse was killed.

Stewards were fully prepared to delay the Caloundra meeting, but it transpired vet Tony Doherty was able to make his way to the scene via a police escort.

The horse float on its side after slipping down an embankment. Picture: Clayton’s Towing

Vets were able to sedate the horses as fire fighters went about the business of cutting open the float to free the horses, who were then escorted to a vet clinic for observation and treatment.

Deputy stewards’ chairman Daniel Aurisch said the float slid down an embankment on the Bruce Highway. He said the float’s driver and the horse’s strappers had escaped serious injury. The four horses had minor injuries.

.@RQStewards confirmed that police & vets are attending the scene of an accident involving a horse float on the way to the @SCTurfClub races

— Racing Queensland (@racing_qld) April 23, 2016

Strappers all ok but hoping all our four horses are ok 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏...

— Kiaarn Holland (@Kiaarn) April 23, 2016

UPDATE:The 4 horses involved in the float accident have been freed & are being transported via another float to the Sun Coast for assessment

— Racing Queensland (@racing_qld) April 23, 2016

Jane Gollan reports all horses in today's crash have been removed from truck. Good news after terrifying accident. pic.twitter.com/uH4GBhVq5c

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) April 23, 2016

“We had to call the police because our vets raced to the scene but were on the wrong side of the highway. Police had to stop traffic to get them across,” Aurisch said.

Trainer Trevor Bailey said he stopped at the scene site to help. “Thankfully the strappers were OK and the horses were quiet,” he said.

Stewards were alerted by trainer Tony Gollan before the start of the fourth race.

THE VERDICT

David Vandyke made an immediate impression on local bagmen when the huge move for Look To The Stars landed. Last year’s Sires winner firmed at every call and started favourite over Queen Of Wands, who at one stage was a third of the price of the other filly. “I don’t bet, but someone obviously liked her,” Vandyke said. Conversely, fellow NSW interloper Winning Rupert was unwanted on course. He had been a good move earlier in the week, but local bookies couldn’t wind him out quick enough. He looked a good thing from soon after the jump.

David Vandyke and jockey Blake Spriggs were all smiles after Look To The Stars won at Caloundra. Picture: Grant Peters

BEAMING

Kevin Kemp was sporting a broad smile after Sold For Song dashed home to grab second in the Mick Dittman Plate. “I wasn’t shaking before the race, but I am now. That was strong,” Kemp said. The trainer hasn’t mapped out a firm plan yet for the filly, who has plenty of options in coming weeks. The other good news for Kemp was that it meant he didn’t have to drive home on Saturday night, with he and Tony Sears having a side bet that the loser would drive. Sears’ previously unbeaten filly Blue Desert Moon was squeezed at the start and vets inspected her post race for any abnormalities after she finished down the track.

NOT ENCOURAGING

Luke Dittman asked to view the head-on film before lodging his protest on Dreams Aplenty. When Dittman opted to lodge the protest, the omens for it being upheld weren’t good when steward Martin Knibbs asked “on what grounds?” Trainer John Zielke felt if the margin was slimmer it may have had some hope. Winning rider Jeff Lloyd was taken by surprise at the objection. “He had already put one length on him (when the incident happened),” Lloyd told stewards.

Luke Dittman was ambitious with his protest call on Saturday. Picture: Colleen Petch

SEESAW

Punters took a while to find their feet at the Coast. They went for Lord Coconuts over Kaiser Franz in the first, then Oradonna in preference to Elegant Composure in the second and the locals Oink and Charnley River to repel the Sydneysider Winning Rupert in the 2YO. Another Whiskey started to steady the ship and then it was the market movers that dominated, with Look To The Stars followed by Bewhatyouwannabe, Hopfgarten and Divine Centuri, who all firmed.

THE QUOTE

“He worked me bloody hard.” Trainer Chris Anderson did his tutelage with his cousin Steele Ryan and “learned everything I possibly could off him” so it was a special result when the pair led in a winning double with Elegant Composure and Another Whiskey at Caloundra on Saturday. “I really like Chris’ mare and I told him I thought we would get the double,” Ryan said.

Originally published as Vets rush to horse float accident near Caloundra races