Loose horse drama at Yarmouth

Horse and rider emerged unscathed.

A loose horse at Yarmouth led to dramatic scenes and a lengthy delay before the penultimate race at the seaside track on Tuesday.

The Richard Spencer-trained Jean Valjean bolted going down to the start under Sean Kirrane, who managed to take evasive action and jump off the three-year-old before he crashed through the rails.

Jean Valjean, meanwhile, went on to the golf course and while for a fleeting moment he looked like he might be caught, he soon disappeared out of view, followed by a posse of officials and groundstaff.

He was ultimately caught and walked back to the track.

Spencer said: “He’s walked back to track. The vet hasn’t checked him out yet and he has a few cuts and bruises. I don’t know (how far he got), to be honest.”

Clerk of the course Richard Aldous told Sky Sports Racing: “The problem is we’re a bit open, on to the golf course and straight on to the beach and on he went down towards Scratby.

“My head groundsman and the girl with him in the truck and other lad were going for a run down the beach, I’m not sure whether he was caught by a member of the public, but he’s now being walked back.

“Scratby is on past Caister, I don’t think he went as far as that, but he was heading towards Scratby.”

Kirrane said: “It was just one of those things, he was in a first-time visor, caught fright and pretty much just ran flat out with me.

“It’s a shame, the horse would have had a little chance in the race, but you have to make a decision when a horse is running blind through a set of barriers.”

A spokesperson for Arena Racing Company, which owns Yarmouth, said there had been no reports of any injuries to the public.

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