28/06/2008 2:58:41 PM
A pall has been cast over the future of jumps racing in Victoria after only four horses finished a disastrous running of the Grand National Hurdle (4350m) at Flemington.
Derringer ($6) ended up winning the race, one of the features on the jumps calendar, defeating Indicates ($20) and Frenzilian ($20), but the real impact is on the image of jumps racing after nine of the field of 13 failed to finish.
The race was concluded in bizarre circumstances, when jockeys were forced to go around the second last jump with jockey Adrian Garraway still lying on the ground after falling off his mount Pasco the first time around.
Garraway recovered consciousness after the race and has been taken to hospital. All other jockeys were able to walk back to scale, while two horses, Eveready and Charted, were put down.
Five or six horses pulled up before the final obstacle, leaving the first four to fight it out to the line. Derringer, having just his second jumps start, proved the better stayer, prevailing in a battle with Indicates to give Brett Scott yet another feature win.
The drama started down the straight the first time when two horses fell, while down the back favourite Charted stumbled and brought down Shrogginet.
Eveready looked certain to win the race after cruising up to the runaway leader Danever on straightening, but jockey Brad McLean was forced to pull it up when it broke down trying to change direction to get around the second last fence.
With Garraway still lying prone on the track as the horses looked to complete the race, officials were forced to put witches hats around the penultimate jump.
The remainder of the field lost all momentum at that point and Derringer was able to sweep down the outside and win.
It is a dark day for jumps racing in Victoria and one it sorely didn't need after Racing Minister Rob Hulls said last week he would review its future at the end of the jumping season. Victoria and South Australia are the only two states which still have jumps racing in Australia.