Wolverhampton race abandoned and jockey Dane O’Neill rushed to hospital following horror fall
A RACE at Wolverhampton was abandoned mid-way through as a jockey lay strewn across the track after a sickening fall.
Punters were praying for good news as Dane O’Neill was rushed to hospital after he fell from 22-1 Eagle Eyed Tom shortly after the stalls opened in the 2.30.
Sky Sports Racing pictures showed the other jockeys and horses slowing to a trot after the white flag was flown by stewards.
O’Neill was stretchered off the track after apparently being tramped by his horse.
Jason Weaver, reporting from the track for Sky, said: “He had a nasty fall.
“The initial feeling from the other jockeys was that after he went down he tried to get up but went down again – but that’s speculation.
“The reports from the track are that he was conscious throughout.
“I saw the ambulance leave then the clerk of the course came rushing out to make sure the other ambulance got out onto the track for the next race and was positioned OK.”
Initial concerns centred around a possible serious back or neck injury for O’Neill.
The race was the first on the card on Tuesday afternoon.
For betting purposes the 1m1½f Class 5 contest has officially been voided.
Stewards could not remove O’Neill from the track in time before the horses were due to come round in the closing stages of the contest.
Speaking on Sky, former champion jockey Seb Sanders said: “There’s nothing any of the jockeys did wrong, it’s just one or two strides out of the stalls.
“We say it’s one of those things but Dane has been stretchered off.
“Let’s just hope he’s OK.
“A fall on the all weather hurts so much more than a fall on the turf.”
Veteran Irish jockey O’Neill, who has won over 1,700 career winners, had lined up on the Charles Hill-trained three-year-old gelding.
The horse had never finished better than fourth in three career starts and was one of the outsiders in the 10-runner contest.
Punters were in shock at the scenes and used the opportunity to wish O’Neill all the best.
One said: “What happened at Wolverhampton? Never seen a race stopped mid-race like that before.”
While another wrote: “Absolutely everything crossed for Dane O’Neill after that at Wolverhampton.”
The following race was delayed as a result of the incident.