'It's incredibly disappointing' - Chester abandons card due to safety concerns

For the third time in four days, racegoers were left short-changed after a meeting failed to reach its conclusion due to concerns over the safety of the track.

After racing at Beverley was abandoned on Wednesday after four races and Friday's evening fixture at Haydock suffered the same fate after just two races due to horses slipping, Chester was forced to abandon after four races when Humanitarian slipped and fell on the home turn in the 7½f handicap.

Both rider Luke Catton and the horse walked away apparently unscathed from the incident but with rider Stevie Donohoe also reporting his horse to have slipped in the same race, a delegation of officials, riders and trainers inspected the course and the decision was taken to abandon the meeting.

Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch said: "The stewards held an inquiry with the jockeys following an incident in the last race. After consulting with the jockeys, the safety representatives and the racecourse, it was concluded that the meeting should be abandoned due to concerns in the last race.

"A horse slipped on the home bend, we had a look at it and carried out a full inspection as is the procedure through BHA guidelines and the stewards came to the conclusion to abandon."

Asked why he thought the incident might have occurred, Tulloch said: "I don't know – it's too early to say. We've done a lot of extra work on that bend – aerating it and doing work before this meeting. It hasn't happened with me here before. I've had a lot of experience at Chester having been here previously and Charles Barnett, who is a director here, has not experienced it either and we've got a very experienced head groundsman.

Andrew Tulloch: has not experienced the issue before at ChesterCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It's very disappointing for everyone and we've just got to assess it and see what we can do differently and try and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Tulloch, previously clerk of the course at Aintree, described it as "unheard of" for three tracks to abandon for the same reason within four days but stressed that safety was paramount.

He added: "It's incredibly disappointing to everyone here and watching it but the safety of the horses and riders has to come first. It has to be the right thing to do but it's deeply disappointing."

Racegoers were allowed to stay at the track until after the scheduled last race had due to be run but with four races taking place, the track said they would not be issuing any compensation.

"It's disappointing," said Chester racegoer Mark Hallows. "On the basis that it's the racecourse's job to keep the track in the right condition, it shouldn't have happened really. I think they've obviously made a slip up – that's my position and that's why it's disappointing because it probably could have been avoided with a little bit more skill and care.

"If it's their mistake, racegoers probably should be compensated."

Ian Cox from Warrington added: "After Haydock yesterday I can't understand the situation and this is very frustrating. The way I see it, this should be perfect ground for a summer meeting, so why is it being abandoned? Whose responsibility is it?

"I've been to Chester for so many years and every year it's exactly the same – it's summer and it's brilliant [weather]. We've spent a lot of money today and we've missed three races. I don't think it's great."

Senior rider PJ McDonald explained how the riders had lost confidence in the trackCredit: Edward Whitaker

Senior rider PJ McDonald was among those to inspect the track and explained how the riders had lost confidence in the track, leaving no other option but to call the meeting off.

"The ground was lovely," he said. "It was beautiful ground with moisture in it but the sun was shining and it's breezy and the ground was drying out throughout the day and it was getting worse. We had two slip in that race and we just had no confidence in the bend.

"There's no way we could be confident going into that bend that nothing was going to happen. I do think they've done everything they can but it's just one of those things.

"It's getting very frustrating now because when things like this happen the majority of people are very good but there are people who say: 'It's the jockeys, they don't want to ride' which is absolute crap.

"It's our lives that are at stake. I've got two kids at home and I don't want to be the guinea pig to test out and see if the sand works. We've got to be confident in the tracks. It's been a frustrating week and I'd like to think riders who didn't have rides [because it was abandoned] would get something."

Trainer Mark Loughnane, who had declared runners in cancelled races at both Chester and Haydock, thought the drying conditions had caused the problem on this occasion.

He said: "It was lovely, moist ground at the start of the meeting and the sun and wind has dried it out and just made it slippy on top. The jockeys weren't 100 per cent on it and they're riding it, not us."

Chester chief executive Louise Stewart added: "We're obviously very disappointed but it's the right decision if there are question marks over safety to abandon racing.

"Because it's after the fourth race it is not a refundable offer that we will make. We're leaving the site open so people can continue to enjoy a great atmosphere."

Spate of abandonments

Wednesday

Beverley abandon after four races after Danny Tudhope reported his mount slipped and other jockeys voiced concerns stating the bend rode as "tight as a right-angle". A change to rail alignments was blamed and chief executive Sally Iggulden said: "Unfortunately, it wasn't felt to be safe and that's of most importance."

Friday

Haydock abandon after two races due to unsafe ground after concerns were raised about the ground being too slippery on both bends. Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: "Two or three of them [jockeys] slipped. We held an inspection and there is nothing adequate that can be done to reassure everyone that the bend would be fit to ride later."

Saturday

Humanitarian slipped and fell on the home turn in the fourth race at Chester, resulting in the meeting being abandoned. Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch said: "It's incredibly disappointing to everyone here and watching it but the safety of the horses and riders has to come first."

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Haydock hands out compensation after surface forces abandonment of Friday card

Haydock abandoned due to unsafe ground - but officials confident for Saturday

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