Two members of the groundstaff at Nottingham were taken to hospital after being struck by a loose horse at the track today.
The incident happened after the John Spearing-trained newcomer Croeso Croeso broke out of the stalls before division one of the European Breeders Fund Cricketers Maiden Stakes.
As the horse ran free with the reins wrapped around its left foreleg it injured two members of the groundstaff, Tom Weaver and John Barnett.
Clerk of the course Charlie Moore explained: 'It knocked over one of the starting stalls handlers who had come to try and catch it but he just got a bit of a bruised back and carried on.
'But two of our groundstaff, one, Tom Weaver, got hit on the back of his ribs so he`s gone for examination as he`s very tender.
'And John Barnett was hit across the face. He`s got cuts and damage to his nose and he is badly concussed.
'They`ve gone to Queen`s Medical Centre for observation.'
The two-year-old was eventually caught just before the next race was due off, a delay of almost 30 minutes.
It had suffered cuts to its legs and a burn where the rein had caught around its left leg.
'The horse had one or two cuts to its legs but particularly a burn lesion under his left forearm,' Moore added.
'It was one of those circumstances when, whatever contingency plans you`ve got, you`ve never got enough people.
'Everybody accepts it was just one of those unfortunate things.'
