Gareth Wright – amazing courage to come back and ride a winner!
An horrific accident involving two horses and two jockeys at Greyville on Friday evening has ended happily with a few aches and pains and just a reinforcement perhaps of the dangers of race-riding and the fact that jockeys can never be paid enough.
Click on the link to see what happened-
The two jockeys involved in the incident in the second race were Mandla Ntuli (Trippiline) and Gareth Wright (Alesnado).
Sean Veale, on the eventual winner Roy’s Riviera, can be seen climbing all over those in front of him as he looks for a run and disputes a largely non-existent gap with Ntuli, when Trippline falls back and clips heels with the horse ahead of her. Wright tried to take evasive action but Alesnado, who was racing a length or two behind, also tripped and fell over the fallen Trippiline.
Mandla Ntuli – observation
Ntuli was taken to hospital for x-rays and observations, but the real hero – if there had to be one – was the former Maritzburg College pupil Wright, who joined the SA Jockey Academy ten years ago.
Unflustered, he was in the winner’s enclosure a few races later when he steered Dance Off home for Andre Nel. To bounce back on the same evening after that nasty fall requires courage and nerve!
Trippiline received a few stitches for superficial cuts while Alesnado was only shaken.
The Stipes:
Approaching the 300 metre mark ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS) (S Veale) attempted and improved into a tight gap on the outside of ON THE BOUNCE (A Marcus), and was awkwardly placed. Thereafter ON THE BOUNCE (A Marcus) shifted out slightly carrying ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS) (S Veale) outwards resulting in ROY’S RIVIERA (AUS) (S Veale) making contact with TRIPPILINE (M Ntuli) and carrying TRIPPILINE (M Ntuli) outwards onto the heels of OLD OAK (F Herholdt). TRIPPILINE (M Ntuli) then clipped the heels of OLD OAK (F Herholdt) and fell. As a result ALESNADO (G Wright) who was racing behind TRIPPILINE, made contact with the fallen TRIPPILINE and fell dislodging Jockey G Wright. LAAT LAMMETJIE (AUS) (A Mgudlwa) was severely hampered as a result of this incident. This incident will be further reviewed by the Board.
