Following a narrowly avoided accident at Chelmsford on Saturday evening, racing professionals are urging for updates to the stop-race protocol. During the race, horses and jockeys barely missed colliding with a set of starting stalls left on the track due to a tractor malfunction.
Jockeys managed to stop in time after the starter, spotting the issue, sprinted down the course to wave a warning flag and signal the approaching riders. Though the horses were racing at nearly 40 mph as they neared the home straight, the riders pulled up within roughly 100 meters, halting just before reaching the stalls, which were positioned between the two and one-furlong markers.
Chelmsford Racecourse released a statement following the incident, describing it as "unprecedented" and expressing relief that no harm was caused. Although the racecourse wasn’t directly responsible for the incident, Chelmsford acknowledged its role in overseeing the event.
Jane Chapple-Hyam, the trainer of Salamanca, noted that the tractor responsible for moving the stalls "wouldn't go into gear," and the track officials lacked sufficient time to warn riders as the horses approached the back straight.
Jockey Harry Davies, who was riding Intricacy, and trainer Daniel Kubler, who co-trains Andaleep with his wife, Claire, both voiced the need for enhancements to the stop-race system. They believe faster alerts are crucial to avoid a repeat of Saturday’s close call.
Davies expressed his relief that everyone stopped safely, and mentioned that all jockeys had started shouting to slow down after spotting the flag at the bend. However, he was surprised there was no warning flag on the back straight, considering the layout of races that circle past the starting point. Davies highlighted that younger or less experienced horses might not have responded as quickly, making the quick reactions of his horse and others a fortunate outcome.
Kubler, watching from home, felt anxious as the television cameras revealed the stalls on the track. He suggested that races involving multiple laps could benefit from an earlier warning for riders. He pointed out that other countries, such as France, use sirens and flashing lights to alert jockeys in similar situations. While Kubler acknowledged it was difficult to assign blame, he stressed the importance of enhancing race safety to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The race was voided, and stewards conducted interviews to understand how the stalls remained stranded on the track. A report was sent to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for further investigation into the effectiveness of the stop-race protocol and any contributing factors.
A BHA representative confirmed that an inquiry was underway, with the report being forwarded to BHA headquarters to review the circumstances surrounding the deployment of the stop-race flag and to examine protocol execution in this case.