PUNTERS were left cursing their luck at Fontwell on Saturday after a bizarre ending to the first race on the card.
Garincha, the 5/4 favourite, was travelling sweetly for Tom Buckley as the pair approached the fifth hurdle.
However, the six-year-old suddenly veered violently right, refusing to tackle the next hurdle and launching Buckley from the saddle.
The jockey nearly completed a remarkable recovery, hanging grimly to his ride’s neck before exiting the side door.
Backers of Garincha had already been warned about the horse’s oddities early in contest after he veered right at the same hurdle on the field’s first circuit.
The drama didn’t end there though.
After battling to a narrow half-length victory, the winner, Notre Pari, veered left after the line and crashed through the railings on the inside of the track.
Notre Pari was left winded by the incident but otherwise unharmed, as was jockey Lewis Stone.
But it was Garincha’s exit that got those on social media really talking.
“Even the horses are in the bookies’ pockets,” joked one Tweeter, while another said: “If I was to be on this race. Can you guess which horse I would have picked?”
After the race, winning trainer Olly Murphy said: “The horses don’t look to have an awful lot of room on the inside from what I saw on the TV – thank God my horse is okay.”
While users on social media were stunned with what they saw.
One wrote: “Fortunately, no one was hurt. I think his shadow spooked him.”
And another said: “Don’t exactly know what he’s shyed away from here. He’s jumped all other hurdles bar that one fine (he did it at the start [same hurdle] as well). Any ideas?”
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/horse-racing/if-theyre-brave-enough-two-festival-stars-constitution-hill-and-honeysuckle-could-clash-next-month/
