A scene from Dundalk today© Photo Healy Racing
The Crowne Plaza Dundalk Race & Stay Handicap, race six on today’s card on the polytrack, was declared void, after Gavin Ryan was unseated early on.
Guild appeared to clip heels, and the stricken Ryan was still on the track as the runners approached the straight second time around.
The other riders were very alert to the stop the race signal, bringing their mounts to a halt from over two furlongs out.
Thankfully a positive update from Dr. Antonia Lehane at the track came through as follows — “Gavin Ryan is fully conscious and talking. He is going to Drogheda Hospital for precautionary x-rays.”
Ryan had earlier won the opener on the James Lambe-trained Reverberation
The Stewards enquired into the fall of Guild (GB), ridden by G.M. Ryan shortly after leaving the stalls.
Evidence was heard from M. Sheehy, rider of Irradiate, R.P. Whelan, rider of Gougane Barra and C. Keane, rider of Muzbid.
All riders reported that Guild appeared to clip heels for no apparent reason.
Having considered the evidence and viewed a recording of the race, the Stewards were satisfied that the fall was accidental in nature and they therefore took no further action
Following the fall on the flat of Guild, trained by Luke Comer and ridden by G.M. Ryan, the Stewards declared this race void under Rule 10 following the stoppage of the race on safety grounds.
(GC & EM)
