Turf Club investigation apportions no blame for death of five horses

A Turf Club investigation into the deaths of five horses at the Clonmel fixture twelve days ago has apportioned no blame and pointed out how no trainer or jockey attributed the fatalities to the state of the ground.

The incidents in which four horses were pulled up with fatal injuries, and one was put down after a fall, were examined by the regulatory body, and especially how ground conditions at the evening meeting at the venue became quicker as the fixture progressed, leading to the state of the going being changed to “good to firm” after the fifth race.

After examining the chain of events in relation to ground descriptions on the lead up to the meeting, the investigation concluded that it had not been necessary for any watering to take place.

Report

The report issued yesterday said: “While there is no doubting the fact that the ground dried considerably on the day, no complaints were received by either the Clerk of the Course or the Stewards from owners, trainers and riders regarding the condition of the ground.”

It added: “There were three withdrawals due to the change in ground and in all cases the Stewards allowed the withdrawals without penalty.

“No trainer or jockey attributed the fatalities to the state of the ground.”