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Jockeys Cleared in Sydney Cup Fall Inquiry

Lucy Henderson May 18, 2011

Jockeys Cleared in Sydney Cup Fall Inquiry

Glyn Schofield

Jockey Glyn Schofield suffered a broken collarbone in the Sydney Cup fall

A stewards’ inquiry into the nasty fall in last month’s Sydney Cup that saw top hoops Kerrin McEvoy and Glyn Schofield injured and consequently sidelined from racing has found the incident to be accidental and both jockeys cleared of any blame.

The Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) ran at Royal Randwick on April 23 and was subsequently won by the Chris Waller-trained emergency Stand To Gain.

It was Waller’s Sydney Cup favourite Hawk Island that Glyn Schofield, most famous for his association with champion sprinter Hay List, was aboard before the fall that occurred at around the 600m mark.

The other horse involved on the fall was Michael Moroney’s seven-year-old Tinseltown who had McEvoy in the mount.

The collision occurred at the tail end of the Sydney Cup field, McEvoy knocked unconscious after hitting the turf and also breaking two ribs while Schofield suffered a broken collarbone.

Tinseltown fell first before Hawk Island, unable to avoid the incapacitated runner, was then caught up in the unpleasant mess.

Both involved jockeys met with Racing NSW stewards at Canterbury on Wednesday, presenting evidence regarding what happened in the Sydney Cup.

The meeting and submissions from McEvoy and Schofield followed evidence already taken from other Sydney Cup jockeys Brenton Avdulla (Bid Spotter), Nash Rawiller (Once Were Wild), Darren Gauci (Muir), Glen Boss (Older Than Time) and Michael Rodd (C’est L Guerre) on Sydney Cup Day.

Conclusions from the inquiry made by Chief Steward Ray Murrihy were that the fall was a result of Bid Spotter falling back in Tinseltown’s direction and shifting out slightly.

Muir was also found to have weakened quite rapidly in the running, leaving Schofield with no choice but to come into contact with the fallen Tinseltown.

“We don’t believe there was any culpable riding on the part of any of the riders involved in the incident,” Murrihy stated.

“It’s really a combination of tiring horses and two horses that had running left in them.”

Schofield has since made a full recovery and will resume riding at Rosehill this Saturday having been booked for six of the eight races while McEvoy is expected to return to trackwork on the weekend.

“I’m seeing the doctor this afternoon and hopefully I’ll get a clearance to ride trackwork on Saturday morning,” McEvoy said.

“I’ve been in the pool the last couple of days giving it a hitout.

“I’ll have a week of trackwork and then I’m hoping to ride down here in Sydney the following Saturday (May 28).”

This is the date that Schofield, upon a return from riding Gitano Hernando in the $3 million Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) this upcoming Sunday, is expected to reunite with ace mount Hay List for the five-year-old’s fifth bout against superstar Black Caviar in the $650,000 Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m).

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