Tractor broke down 🥱Changes to the stop-race protocol have been called for by those involved
in a race on Saturday evening
where horses narrowly avoided colliding with a set of starting stalls left stranded on the track by a malfunctioning tractor.Quick-acting jockeys were able to take evasive action to prevent catastrophe at Chelmsford, having been alerted to the unexpected presence of the stalls by the frantic flag waving of the starter, who had run down the course to the home bend to alert the riders.Despite travelling at speeds approaching 40mph as they approached the home straight, the horses and jockeys were able to pull up in around 100 metres before reaching the obstacle, which was stuck on the track between the two and one furlong markers.In a statement released after the race, Chelmsford said the incident was "unprecedented" and that it was "deeply relieved" no one came to harm, but added "although the racecourse was not directly responsible for what occurred, we fully acknowledge our role as the racecourse staging the fixture".Jane Chapple-Hyam, who saddled Salamanca in the 1m2f handicap, said the tractor used to pull the stalls off the course after the start "wouldn't go into gear" and that officials "didn't have enough time" to send anyone to flag down the riders when the horses were in the back straight
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