A woman who was walking her dog on the racecourse at Doncaster caused a delay to the final race on Lincoln day. Despite the interruption, the Doncaster team stressed that there was no risk of injury to either the woman or the horses. The woman had no idea that the second division of the 1m2f apprentice handicap was about to start until security staff escorted her off the track.
According to Paul Barker, the Clerk of the Course, the race was already delayed due to a loose horse. When security staff noticed the woman walking her dog on the straight course around the seven-furlong pole, they quickly intervened. Barker explained that while people are allowed to cross the track, they are not allowed to walk along it. It was probably just part of the woman’s daily routine, and she was oblivious to the fact that a race was about to start on the round course. The security staff ensured there was no danger to anyone, and the race started almost ten minutes later than scheduled.
Clerk of the course Paul Barker revealed on Sunday: “The race was late because of a loose horse and then we spotted her walking her dog on the straight course, around the seven-furlong pole.
“It’s common land and people are allowed to cross the track but not walk along it. It was probably part of her daily routine and she was completely oblivious to the fact a race was about to start – that was on the round course and there were no stalls on the straight course.
“We have security staff at the five and six-furlong poles and they quickly went to her and escorted her off. There was never any danger to her or to the horses.”
In the end, Aone Ally won the race, ridden by jockey Connor Planas and trained by Lucinda Russell. Russell, who previously landed a double at the Ayr Gold Cup meeting last September with Flylikeaneagle and Engles Rock, was celebrating her first Flat winners in a while.
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