Thunder likely spooked Darwin jockey’s mounts in Alice Springs
Thunder from a storm emanating on the outskirts of Alice Springs may have contributed to two incidents prior to a race at Pioneer Park on Saturday.
Dan Morgan’s Don’t Be Dramatic, ridden by Casey Hunter, and Terry Huish’s Brave Fling, ridden by Sonja Logan, were scratched from a 1000m maiden – the fourth of five races.
Significantly, Alice Springs Stewards did in fact put the final race back 10 minutes with a storm front quickly passing through.
First starter Don’t Be Dramatic, was heading to the gates before the three-year-old gelding suddenly bolted.
Brave Fling entered barrier two and was standing quietly before rearing backwards pinning the Darwin-based Logan’s left leg.
The four-year-old gelding, returning from a nine-month spell, flipped himself upside down and was wedged on the ground, with barrier attendants able to remove Logan from an awkward situation.
Logan, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on Sunday, suffered bruising to her shin as well as minor shoulder and hand injuries.
“Casey’s horse was cantering, then all of a sudden it just threw its head in the air and just took off,” Logan said.
“Everyone had to get out of the way, they went past the gates at full speed before Casey got the horse under control.
“There was not much point returning to the barriers, so Casey just cantered back to the enclosure because she knew the horse would have been scratched.”
Don’t Be Dramatic’s reaction suggests that thunder may have been the catalyst, and it could have also riled Brave Fling.
“Brave Fling was just standing there quietly in the gates; he’s never played up before,” Logan said.
“There was then a bit of thunder, and although I felt a bit nervous, I didn’t feel like he was going to go off.
“I don’t know if it was thunder, but he suddenly reared, throwing me out the back.
“I ended up down near his feet before the barrier attendants pulled me out.
“They couldn’t get the horse out because he was stuck; he also stayed really calm.
“Thankfully, he avoided injury – just a few scratches and bumps.”
Logan, last year’s leading rider in the Alice Springs and Provincial jockeys’ premiership, was not as fortunate.
“It happened that quick, you don’t know what has occurred; my shin was pinned up against the barrier,” she said.
“I thought I may have broken my leg, it was painful – it just bruised up and swelled up a bit.
“After getting treatment, I wanted to fly home, although I agreed that if the pain persisted, I would go to hospital.
“If not, I may as well get on my flight, go home, and if it flares up I can go to Darwin Hospital.
“It didn’t flare up, if anything, the pain over the couple of hours calmed down.
“Jade Hampson, who also rode in Alice, drove me home in my ute.
“Come Sunday, don’t get me wrong it was still sore, but the discomfort had eased.”
Huish was advised by the stewards that a veterinary certificate of soundness must be produced prior to Brave Fling racing again.
Understandably, it was also a sedate birthday celebration for Logan.
“Just looked after myself so I can ride at Darwin and Alice Springs on the weekend,” Logan said.
“Tom and I went to lunch for my birthday, that was about it really.
“Not the best start to the year, but I’m well and safe, and the horse is safe – it could have been a lot worse.”
Logan was involved in a serious three-horse fall during the 2021 Darwin Cup Carnival that sidelined her for over three months before a violent assault outside her Darwin abode last July just weeks before her wedding.
“I reckon I’ve had my fair share of injuries – I’ve got to have some good luck now, don’t I?”, she laughed.