Joseph O'Brien and Pat Smullen walk away riderless following a false start© Photo Healy Racing
An unsatisfactory stalls malfunction at Down Royal today resulted in some uncomfortable viewing in the seven furlongs Barclay Mobile Device Management Handicap, in a race which, when re-run, was won by 16/1 outsider Straits Of Zanzibar.
At the start, the inside three stalls opened ahead of the outer group of 10 stalls and as some of those 10 horses and riders anticipated the start, Joseph O'Brien was one who was unseated from Battleroftheboyne
The white flag man stood firm and thankfully managed to dodge the charging horses, four of which (two riderless, Battleroftheboyne and Pat Smullen's mount Jembatt passed the winning line and were then withdrawn by the stewards. Nobody was injured in the incident.
The race was eventually started by flag start, 11 minutes late, and after a few false starts, Straits Of Zanzibar emerged victorious, having battled well under Shane Foley to beat Shipyard by a short head.
Winning trainer Ken Condon was absent but, following his dramatic win, Foley said "the stalls didn't open, but it actually worked out well for us as a couple of pacesetters were taken out! In fairness he (Straits Of Zanzibar) was a good two-year-old and he knows how to battle and he certainly did there."
Following the final race and regarding the incident, senior rider Fran Berry reported "they are the older style stalls here and the old stalls require a lot of maintenance. Most tracks have newer stalls and if the funding was there, it would be good to see them here."
By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Michael Graham
