Ffos Las fined £3,500 by BHA panel after dropped radio leads to a failure to deploy hazard warnings

Ffos Las has been handed a £3,500 fine after a dropped radio resulted in a failure to deploy hazard warnings during an incident at the track in May.

A BHA judicial panel ruled the course had breached rules at a jumps fixture on May 30 in which three horses were brought down near the winning line in the opening 2m maiden hurdle, and the Katy Price-trained Full Metal Jacket was fatally injured.

Screens were deployed but the track failed to use the regulated whistle and black and white chequered flag to warn oncoming riders.

Attempts were made by clerk Tracey O'Meara to tell the head groundsman to deploy the flag, but he had dropped his radio and was too far from his vehicle to access the hazard flag and whistle in time.

Jockeys were subsequently forced to steer sharply right on the run to the line which meant Nowmelad, who was ahead at the final flight, had to swerve and was beaten by Double Dragon.

Judicial panel member Fiona Horlick KC determined that "jockeys at the front of the field were late to spot the screens and had to sharply steer around them which could have had an impact on the result", while safety concerns for racecourse staff who waved jockeys round the screen also contributed to the rule breach.

Ffos Las was found to have breached rule (B) 46 of the rules of racing, which requires courses to comply with the BHA's general instructions that tracks must provide warnings to jockeys in light of a hazard during racing.

Alongside submitting the report to the BHA on June 3, Ffos Las also provided a list of proposed action points to ensure the events would not be repeated, including purchasing more whistles and flags to disperse across the course and considering the use of mobile phones as back-up to for radios.

In light of the track's "clear and immediate admissions in the stewards' inquiry" alongside "practical and workable steps to ensure there is no reoccurrence", the BHA panel determined a £3,500 fine was adequate from a possible range of £1,000 to £15,000.

Ffos Las declined to comment when contacted by the Racing Post.

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