Chaos at Pontefract as races ABANDONED and jockey rushed to hospital after car crash at track
PONTEFRACT races have been abandoned after chaos reigned at the northern track – with a jockey rushed hospital and a car crash causing carnage.
Duran Fentiman suffered a suspected broken leg after being unshipped while going to post in the 3.45pm.
But he was delayed getting to hospital because the starting stalls were blocking the path of the ambulance.
Matters were further complicated by a car accident that took place outside the track as the ambulance was trying to leave.
The entire card was then axed because they couldn’t get another ambulance to the track in time.
Commentator Stewart Machine tried to explain what happened.
He said: “Thoughts go to Duran, it seems it’s a leg injury and hopefully nothing worse.
“As the situation evolved as far as I could ascertain from the commentary box the ambulance was about to leave the track but I don’t think it could get past the stalls at the start, which blocked the trackway.
“The RaceTech team had to move the stalls out the way, I think, and, again it’s only my interpretation, but then put them back into place.”
Host Graham Cunningham then confirmed a car accident had taken place – and that the meeting had been called off entirely.
Norman Gundill, clerk of the course, said: “The medical team took quite a long time to stabilise Duran – the ambulance has taken him away now.
“There has been an accident on the road outside causing more complication.
“The vets decided the horses had been there so long and it was cold that it was not in their best interest to run that race.
“For the rest of the card we needed a replacement ambulance but we couldn’t get anybody here in time, especially with it getting dark soon.
“The ambulance took so long because the stalls were covering the service track (which the ambulance needed to drive down).
“We couldn’t continue with racing because we couldn’t get another ambulance here.
“I’ve been here 50 years and never experienced anything like this.”
The race was abandoned a full 50 minutes after post time.
But matters were made all the more confusing as TV footage made it look as if the horses were racing when they were in fact running down the track en route back to the parade ring.
Horses had been circling the stalls at the start for almost an hour – and trainers were given permission to withdraw their runners if they wished.
Fentiman, who was believed to be conscious and talking, has been taken to St James’s University Hospital in Leeds.
Fentiman was riding two-year-old colt Cangofar to post when he was chucked off.
According to presenters on Racing TV, Fentiman, 38, suffered a suspected broken leg.
Cangofar, trained by Tim Easterby, was due to make his debut.
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