RACING CRASH
LUCKY JOCKEYS AFTER MISHAP
TWO jockeys narrowly avoided injury after their horses collided at the Gold Coast and sent one of them to the turf on Saturday.
Daniel Griffin was just outside the leader on the Helen Page-trained That’lldo in the Maiden Handicap (1400m), won by the Scott Morriseytrained Heza Good Boy, when the colt snapped his leg.
That’lldo pulled up and most of the field avoided him but Luke Rolls wasn’t so lucky.
Rolls and his ride, the Rex Lipp-trained Smokin Hussay, ran up the back of That’lldo and the collision sent Rolls tumbling to the turf.
“I didn’t spot (That’lldo) until the last minute and I ran up its behind,” Rolls said.
“I hit it that hard it threw me over the front of my horse.
“Luckily I had a pretty soft landing but it was quite a shock.”
Griffin said he knew he was in trouble the moment That’lldo was injured.
“I was just behind the leader and travelling strong when it happened," Griffin said.
“The leg just went bang and I knew it had snapped. I was hoping everyone would get around me without hitting me but Luke ended up behind me.
“It was a solid hit and to the horse’s credit it stayed up.”
Both jockeys were able to take part in the remaining races of the day.
Morrisey said he could see Heza Good Boy’s breakthrough win coming after improving in his two previous starts, which included a seventh and fifth over 1300m.
“You’re always glad to win but you just hope everyone else is all right in a race like that,” Morrisey said.
“He is a horse who started
off very green and immature but each time he has gone on to the track he has improved and he has the right attitude.”
Morrisey said following Ryan Plumb’s advice and removing the blinkers paid off.
“When he first came to the stable he couldn’t get out of his own way,” Morrisey said.
“We had to put blinkers on to get him to go but Ryan had him in a trial and told me to trust that he would settle and take them off. We listened and he has improved every time.”
LUCKILY I HAD A PRETTY SOFT LANDING BUT IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK LUKE ROLLS