The man who ran in front of the field and narrowly avoided being trampled can expect a lifetime ban after administrators say he endangered his own life and those of the jockeys and horses.
Updated Feb 01, 2021 | 16:30 IST
A short clip of the incident shows the man standing right in the middle of the racetrack as the horses galloped past him. Man walks onto racetrack, steps in front of galloping horses
If you have ever seen a horse race from the stands of a racecourse or on the television, you will know the speed at which the jockeys proceed towards the finish line.
Even a minor contact with a solid object can put a horse and its jockey in danger of sustaining a major injury. This is precisely the reason why barricades and fences are installed on both sides of the track.
Track intruder not part of anti-horseracing group, says protest organiser
31 Jan, 2021 09:13 PM
2 minutes to read
A spectator ran onto the race track at Upper Hutt s Trentham Racecourse during Wellington Cup Day. Photo / Twitter
NZ Herald
The man who ran on to the track during a Wellington Cup Day race was not part of the anti horse-racing movement that protested at the event, says organisers.
A huge Wellington Cup crowd was shocked when a spectator ran on to the track into a field of charging horses at Trentham races on Saturday.
He was then arrested and charged with criminal nuisance.
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses held a protest on Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt during the event, but protest organiser Francis Baker made it clear they had no involvement with the track intrusion.
Sharrock had long felt Waisake could be a two-mile contender and said the preparation paid off. We got to the right race at the right weight [53kg], and fortunately I had the right jockey, as well. Two mile races are probably one of the ultimate goals for a trainer; it takes a lot of work and if executive you know you ve ticked the box properly. I got a great thrill out of that, mate.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Sam Collett and Waisake won at Trentham on January 12, and backed up by taking out the big one – the Wellington Cup – on Saturday.