Meeting canned after fall

A race meeting has been abandoned following a jockey falling to the track.

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Tony Allan fell following his horse, Stumpy, losing his footing as the field turned onto the home straight, with just over 300 metres to run, at Pukekura Raceway in New Plymouth yesterday.

Stumpy, who remained on his feet, was not injured but Allan, who won the 1988 Melbourne Cup aboard Empire Rose, has suffered a suspected broken arm.

Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) steward Darin Balcombe confirmed Stumpy had not slipped but had punched through the track surface causing him to lose his footing.

He said Allan was transferred to hospital to have x-rays on his arm.

In a statement, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing said the meeting was abandoned ‘‘due to an inconsistency in one part of the track around the 300m point’’.

The incident happened in race three. After a track inspection, the meeting was abandoned.

There were five races remaining on the card. NZTR said there were no plans to reschedule the meeting.