Palmerston Sprint, Darwin Cup to proceed after falls in Wednesday’s Class 2 Handicap (1100m) at Fannie Bay injured Wayne Davis, Sonja Wiseman and Alice Lindsay
THOROUGHBRED Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole has hosed down any doubts about the biggest week in the Territory racing calendar going ahead, with an unprecedented amount of jockeys injured for this time of year.
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THOROUGHBRED Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole has hosed down any doubts about the biggest week in the Territory racing calendar going ahead, with an unprecedented amount of jockeys injured for this time of year.
It comes as welcome news for the many Territory and interstate trainers and owners in Darwin as they prepare for the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) on Saturday and $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on Monday.
Jockeys Wayne Davis, Alice Lindsay and Sonja Wiseman were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital after they all fell at Fannie Bay Racecourse on Wednesday.
RDH has since confirmed that Davis has been discharged from the hospital, while Lindsay and Wiseman both remain in a stable condition and under observation.
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Jockeys taken to hospital after race fall at Fannie Bay Racecourse
The falls occurred at the turn in the $20,000 race three Class 2 Handicap (1100m) with Davis riding Phil Cole’s Somervell, Lindsay on Gary Clarke’s Jomera and Wiseman riding Rodney Robb’s Supreme Times.
Davis confessed to a lower back pain, Lindsay suffered hand and wrist pains and Wiseman had pains in her leg and back.
All three trainers and connections were concerned for the welfare of their jockeys on Wednesday night, but in good news all riders were conscious following their fall.
Among the concerns throughout the industry were also question marks on whether two of the Territory’s biggest races would be postponed in the coming days.
But – particularly in light of recent concerns over jockey shortages in the Territory – O’Toole addressed those queries on Thursday.
“We’ll have some visiting jockeys participating, including Jason Maskiel, Bobby El-Issa, Anthony Darmanin and Lorelle Crow up from Alice Springs,” O’Toole said.
“We’ll have 16 riders on Monday, which is still a significant amount.
“No, I can’t (recall this many jockeys being injured at this time of year).
“(But) we won’t be in a situation where we won’t have enough jockeys for the meeting.”
The timing of Wednesday’s falls could not have been any worse, with O’Toole admitting after the incident “this is something we didn’t need in Cup Week”.
That is particularly the case after another recent fall at Fannie Bay on June 26.
The jockeys involved that day were Brendan Sweeney, Kim Gladwin and Jarrod Todd, with only Todd back racing.
Sweeney underwent emergency surgery.
“Thankfully, Brendan is out of his coma, is talking and breathing fine at Royal Adelaide Hospital,” O’Toole said.
“And Kim is back home and will need an operation on his collarbone.”
Champion Darwin trainer Clarke and his wife Sharlene visited Lindsay – who ultimately suffered a fractured vertebra in her back – in hospital on Wednesday night.
“Alice will be out for three to four months, but thankfully she’ll heal,” Clarke said.
“We did have her pencilled in for some more races for us.
“(These falls) are just one of those things - you can have nothing for years, and then all of sudden, bang, you can have a couple.”
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