Ipswich Cup Horse Racing Pileup Of 2000

Queensland, Australia, July 2, 2000

A race was abandoned in Australia on Saturday after a horrific pile-up earlier on the card had left a number of riders unable to be passed fit to take part in the event, writes Syd Brennan.

Eight horses crashed to the turf in the Ipswich Cup, in one of the worst falls seen on a Queensland racetrack.

The pile-up at Ipswich occurred five furlongs from home when Mushtak, lying second, smashed both his forelegs.

The leader and eventual winner, I Reign Supreme, was the only horse to escape interference. Eight horses fell and several others were stopped in their tracks.

Four jockeys were taken to hospital and three of the fallen horses had to be put down.

Justin Sheehan, rider of Mushtak, was unconscious for some minutes, suffered a deep laceration to his head and severe rib injuries, and had difficulty breathing.

Matthew Paget sustained severe injuries to his right hip and a fractured collarbone.

The two other riders taken to hospital, Matt Privvato and Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Darren Beadman, were discharged.

Beadman said: "It was just amazing. I saw Mushtak go, but there was nothing I could do."

The last race was abandoned. Chief steward Steve Railton said: "Some of the riders hadn't been passed medically fit to ride and there was a general apathy to go straight out, which I can fully understand."

Earlier, Gary Doughty had been knocked unconscious after a fall in a handicap and suffered a fractured skull and severe head injuries.