Runaway horse safety probe

Apr 29 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

A FULL review of safety is under way at Haydock Park racecourse after a breakaway horse mowed down a member of staff at the weekend.

A team of investigators from St Helens council’s environmental health department was at the course yesterday.

They interviewed eye witnesses and senior staff to establish exactly what led to the horse bolting.

Malcolm Siberry, a part-time worker at the course, remained in a critical condition last night at Fazakerley Hospital’s critical care unit.

He was crushed by the David Nicholls-trained Pure Imagination soon after the last race on Saturday afternoon, leaving him with chest injuries.

It is thought the gelding toppled its rider and bolted towards a running rail where Mr Siberry was leaning.

The horse was later found in a housing estate a quarter of a mile from the course.

Dickon White, who has been managing director at Haydock for 18 months, told the Liverpool Daily Post the council investigators were sent in “as a matter of course”.

He said a full review will take place into safety at the course, adding: “We await their feedback and have supplied them with information.

“It’s far too early to say if this will affect our procedures.

“A full review will take place but what that means for going forward with operational procedures, we do not know.”

Mr White insisted the accident was a “freak incident”.

“In 10 years of working in racing I’ve never seen anything like this before. It was a freak incident and I truly hope it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Mr Siberry, of Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens, was manning a crossing into the centre of the course letting vehicles through.

Racing commentator Stewart Machin watched the incident through his binoculars.

He said: “The horse set off at a rate of knots. It made half an effort to jump the rail, and as it did so it hit the chap full on.

“I can only assume he was unaware of what was going on, or he was frozen with fear because he made no effort to take any evasive action.”

Mr Machin added he saw paramedics starting trackside CPR after first checking for a pulse.

“It was something I wished I’d never seen, and appeared to be one of those freak accidents you could never legislate for,” he added.

A council spokesperson said: “Our environmental health department have responsibility for that site.

“An investigation is now under way and will continue until the facts are known.”

RACING: PAGES 30-31

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