A horse race was invalidated due to a chaotic start that led to significant penalties for five jockeys. The disrupted event took place at Windsor during the second race of the evening, a 5f apprentice jockeys’ handicap with seven entrants.
The trouble began at the starting gates when Master Zack, trained by Martin Dunne and wearing a blindfold, reared up just before the race began. Jockey Ryan Kavanagh managed to stay put in the stalls while Master Zack bolted out with the blindfold still on, causing confusion. Another horse, Beaumadier, also remained in the gates, resulting in a delayed start for the race.
Master Zack, blinded by the hood, crashed through the running rail before being apprehended, fortunately unharmed. Despite the chaos, the race proceeded, with Cabeza De Llave crossing the finish line first.
Commenting on the incident, Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond described the scene where Master Zack veered off course and the confusion at the starting gates. Video replays showed conflicting signals being given, with some indicating a false start, but the race continued uninterrupted by most riders.
Jockey Tommie Jakes, who finished first, claimed he did not see any signals to stop and was surprised by the subsequent penalties imposed on him and four other jockeys. Stewards explained that the false start was triggered by a door issue at one of the stalls, leading to the penalties for non-compliance with the recall flag.
As a result, Jakes, along with Jack Doughty, Jack Dace, Taryn Langley, and Alec Volkhansky, received ten-day suspensions for disregarding the recall flag. Despite differing accounts from the jockeys involved, the stewards emphasized that the correct procedures were followed.
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