BHA to investigate four fatalities at Musselburgh

Course inspection and post-mortems planned Racing legend Piggott is admitted to hospital

Musselburgh has been left reeling after four horses died during the course of its meeting on Monday. Ironically, none actually fell at an obstacle and jockeys described the ground as perfect. There were four vets and two veterinary nurses on duty at the course.

Kensukes Kingdom, the winner of the first race, was put down after pulling up lame; Sierra Oscar incurred what proved a fatal leg injury; Leather Billy broke a leg on the bend in the bumper, while Smart Ruler collapsed and died towards the end of a handicap hurdle.

A spokesman for the British Horseracing Authority said: “The incidents at Musselburgh were extremely distressing for everyone involved in the sport, not least for the owners of the horses and the trainers and stable staff, who cared for them through their lives. For four horses to be fatally injured on one day of racing is very rare. Owing to the sport’s investment in welfare research and education, and an ongoing programme of innovation and improvement, the average fatality rate in Britain has reduced to around 0.2 per cent of runners. Everyone in British racing is committed to reducing risk and making racing safer.”

The BHA will now undertake an investigation to identify if there were any contributory risk factors at Musselburgh and its inspector of courses will be visiting the Scottish seaside track soon. Some of the horses will also be sent for a postmortem examination to establish if there were any other factors involved.

Racing’s regulators are due to publish a lengthy review into the six fatalities at last March’s four-day Cheltenham Festival a week today.

Haydock Park’s fences, which attracted unwanted attention for their size and stiffness on Betfair Chase day last month after seven of the 25 runners in steeplechases fell, will come under scrutiny again today when the Merseyside course stages its first meeting since.

Although there are only 11 runners in the two chases today, the obstacles have been reduced in height and softened up by taking out some of the birch.

Explaining that remedial work had been carried out swiftly following complaints from jockeys on Betfair day, clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: “The birch was cut during a very dry summer and that once it had been packed in the fences it swelled up with the rain, which meant it then became very tightly packed.”

Altior will face a maximum of nine rivals in the reopened Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday. Un De Sceaux won the 2016 Tingle Creek and could represent Willie Mullins, who also has Great Field and Min entered.

Meanwhile, nine-time Derby winner Lester Piggott has been admitted to hospital in London. The 83-year-old was said to be “in good shape.”