Seven jockeys miraculously walked away relatively injury-free from a horror pile-up in the Maple Juvenile Novices' Selling Hurdle at Taunton yesterday.
The carnage brought back memories of Foinavon's Grand National victory in 1967 when most of the field were immobilised at the twenty-third fence.
On this occasion the fortunate recipient was The Robe, who despite being involved in the melee, managed to escape to collect first place.
The headstrong rank outsider Ivory Charm had attempted to refuse at the third hurdle in the race and unshipped her rider Daragh O'Driscoll before falling with six of the runners crashing into the
prostrate filly and coming down in a mass of flailing hooves and
jockeys.
The main casualty in the pile-up proved to be Jim Culloty, rider of
Private Seal, who was brought down.
He faces a few days on the
sidelines with a very badly bruised hip and was forced to give up his remaining rides.
Jamie Magee, brought down from the favourite Dancing Al, went to Ridgeway Hospital in Swindon for precautionary X-rays on his left wrist and stitches in a badly gashed lip.
He said of the incident: ''We were all going all right and then wallop, we were all on the floor.
''The doctors have told me my wrist is badly bruised. I'm having it checked out but one thing for sure, looking at my face, I won't be pulling on Friday night!''
River Frontier's rider Rodney
Farrant also gave up his remaining rides after also ending up on the floor.
''I'm bruised all over especially down my left side but fingers crossed I'll be alright to ride Bangor tomorrow,'' he said.
The other riders involved - Chris Maude (Bold Legacy), Ashlee Price (Dawn Treader), and David Burchell (Harlestone Lane) - were all given a clean bill of health by course doctor Roger Lambert.
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