Now that the dust has settled on what was a horrendous incident in the Mudgee Cup on Friday, Wellington trainer Garry McCarney can finally sit back and enjoy that fact that he’s a Mudgee Cup winner with the knowledge that no one was seriously injured during race 7’s horrific fall.
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All riders were reported to be conscious after the incident, which happened near the 1200-metre mark when Aaron Bullock’s mount Devilgate Road appeared to catch the heels of the leader Lancelot and crash to the turf.
That led to a chain reaction throughout the rest of the field, bringing down jockeys Jay Ford (Are You Sure), Kody Nestor (Scottish Border), Greg Ryan (Sooner Or Later), and Glenn Lynch (Goldstone).
McCarney said he had mixed emotions when his horse Fox Solid avoided to carnage and passed the post in first place.
“I was happy but I was concerned,” he said.
“I was worried for the riders and the other horses, it knocked the guts right out of me and everyone else I suppose.
“It took the joy out of winning – they say it’s the luck of the game but I don’t like that sort of luck.
“It was one of the most horrific falls I’ve ever seen in my 40-odd years, I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be and thank goodness that everyone is A-ok.”
“On the day we were the lucky ones, and there were some poor buggers who were the unlucky ones.”
With only seven horses able to finish the race, it was an eerie moment as those who avoided the incident reached the finish and barely a murmur could be heard from the thousands of onlookers present.
McCarney said he had similar feelings despite the fact that Fox Solid had claimed the win.
“In those circumstances you can’t be out of your skin or cheerful, everyone was so concerned,” he said.
“Those that are involved, the riders are so close to each other it’s not funny, and so are the trainers.
“We’re like one – we look after each other as best we can and so do the riders that are out there participating in each race.”
In the end the incident overshadowed what was a break through win for McCarney and Fox Solid, and now that all the jockeys who fell have been cleared of any serious injuries, the Wellington trainer can now sit back and enjoy the result.
“The old horse (Fox Solid), he’s had a bit of hard luck, things just haven’t been in his favour the last couple of runs,” he said.
“He’s been there but things just haven’t gone his way - I’m disappointed it went his way under those circumstances though.
“The team are a bit more happy now that we’ve had a chance to grasp what’s taken place, there are a lot more enjoyable words coming out now that we all have relief there were no major dramas.
“The biggest thing from most people’s lips is that there’s luck in racing, you have good luck and you have bad luck.
“On the day we were the lucky ones, and there were some poor buggers who were the unlucky ones.”
