Three jockeys injured in race pile-up on day of mishaps at Rosehill
December 10, 2008

LEADING Sydney jockey Jeff Lloyd is lucky to be alive following a dramatic three-horse fall in which fellow riders Peter Robl and Blake Shinn were injured at Rosehill.

Lloyd and Robl were taken to hospital while Melbourne Cup winning hoop Shinn had his left arm placed in a sling and will have X-rays on his forearm after the fall near the 350 metres of Wednesday's Dalkia Handicap.

Amazingly, the pile-up occurred one race after Kathy O'Hara fell from her mount Hit The Post, in the Computer Air Handicap.

Hit The Post had to be put down after falling heavily near the 300 metres in the incident which left O'Hara suffering shoulder soreness.

Lloyd was riding Montelimar for his good friend, trainer David Payne, who ran down the straight to be with the jockey minutes after the fall in the Dalkia Handicap.

“I saw his skull cap and it had a crack on the top where the horse's hoof looks like it hit it and I've got no doubt the cap saved his life,'' Payne said.

Montelimar stumbled and fell near the 350 metres bringing down Blake Shinn on Ellehro and then Peter Robl riding Razz And Ready.

Stewards Alan Reardon and Steve Railton gave evidence at the inquiry into the fall where they said the incident appeared to be caused by a shift from the winner of the race Withoutme, ridden by Hugh Bowman.

“Bowman had shifted out when not clear to do so,'' Reardon said.

“He (Bowman) made contact with Shatters which made contact with Jeff Lloyd's mount Montelimar resulting in that horse falling.''

Railton saw it the same way from his vantage point.

“Hugh Bowman moved out which resulted in contact (with Shatters) and then a chain reaction.''

Bowman admitted to making contact but said the bump was minimal.

“No doubt there was a bump but I thought it was a minor bump myself,'' Bowman said.

“I just gradually working my way out not making contact until I was behind Couer D'Or. I then moved out half a horse to get running room and I got myself a bit off balance at that moment.

“I wouldn't put it in the same category as the aggression we all use from time to time, it was the minor side for sure.''

Acting chief steward Marc Van Gestel asked Rod Quinn, the rider of the third placed Shatters, if there was contact with Bowman's mount.

“Yes there was contact. He (Bowman) gave me a decent push,'' Quinn said.

Stewards adjourned the matter to allow Robl, Lloyd and Shinn to appear at the inquiry.
Van Gestel confirmed that Robl and Lloyd had undergone scans at Westmead Hospital and that O'Hara and Shinn would also be receiving X-rays.

Apprentice Tommy Berry and Nash Rawiller were both charged with careless riding contributing to a fall from the O'Hara incident.

Berry pleaded not guilty to shifting out onto Kody Nestor's mount Mr Gilly and causing it to make contact with O'Hara's mount resulting in her fall.

Rawiller, who also pleaded guilty, was ruled to have shifted in half a horse onto O'Hara.

Berry was ruled to have contributed to 60 per cent to the incident and was handed a nine meeting suspension which begins next Monday and allows him to resume on January 4.

Rawiller was hit with eight meetings, commencing on Sunday and ending on January 1.

Jockeys injured in Rosehill fall - Horse Racing - Fox Sports