Three jockeys were yesterday taken to hospital and two horses died after a horror fall marred the Group One Hong Kong Sprint, one of the highlights of the prestigious International Races at the famous Sha Tin Racecourse.
The distressing incident, in the fifth contest on Hong Kong’s biggest day of racing, came as Lyle Hewitson’s mount Amazing Star broke down as the field turned to enter the home straight in the 1,200m contest.
Gallopers Lucky Patch, ridden by Zac Purton, Naboo Attack under Karis Teetan and Pixie Knight with Yuichi Fukunaga on board were caught in the melee and sent sprawling in distressing scenes. The Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed that Purton, Hewitson and Fukunaga were all in a stable condition after being taken to the nearby Prince of Wales hospital.
Photo: AFP
Amazing Star and Naboo Attack both had to be euthanized humanely as a result of their injuries.
Teetan walked away unscathed and was able to fulfil the rest of his rides.
The Caspar Fownes-trained Sky Field went onto to win the Sprint under Australian jockey Blake Shinn, who was understandably subdued after the race.
“I have mixed emotions for winning this race today,” Shinn said after landing his first Group One victory in Hong Kong. “Obviously the first emotion is that my feelings are with the fallen jockeys and horses out there.”
“It’s a real bittersweet win and in a way it’s a hard win to take in the circumstances,” he added.
Golden Sixty lived up to his billing as the territory’s one true superstar in the Group One Hong Kong Mile.
Regular rider Vincent Ho Chak-yiu blew his rivals away in the straight to become the first horse to win 19 races in Hong Kong.
“Well 19 [wins] is quite a lot, but every race starts from zero so the next race is another uncertain race. When everything is over we’ll see how great he is,” Ho said.
The Japanese riders were typically dominant, matching their output at last year’s meeting with two victories.
Glory Vase won the Hong Kong Vase and Loves Only You lifted the feature Hong Kong Cup. Glory Vase, under star Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira, took out the Vase for the second time in three years.
Yoshito Yahagi’s superstar mare Loves Only You bid the perfect farewell to racing with her third Group One victory of the year.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei, the only active Taiwanese pitcher in MLB, on Sunday suffered his third loss of the season, throwing a season-high 63 pitches in his second start of the year. Teng allowed three earned runs over three innings on five hits in the Astros’ 5-0 road loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out one, walked one, and hit one batter among the 15 hitters he faced, raising his earned run average to 3.12. It was the Astros’ second attempt to use the 27-year-old Taiwanese as a starter, after he had established himself as a reliable bullpen
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
RSS