Joseph O'Brien: stone bruise played no part in fatal injury to Sir Erec

Joseph O’Brien said the fatal injury suffered by Sir Erec in the Triumph Hurdle was a freak event and the horse was in a fit shape to race after suffering a stone bruise last week.

The opening race on day four of the Cheltenham Festival was marred by an incident at the fourth hurdle. O’Brien’s JP McManus-owned hot favourite flicked through the top of the flight and initially seemed to take a stride or two before then dramatically going lame, with his off-fore visibly fractured.

Mark Walsh immediately pulled his mount up and Sir Erec was humanely euthanised. It was the same leg on which Sir Erec had suffered the stone bruise, and it was also the foot that had to be reshod after he spread a plate on the way to the start.

The four-year-old won more admirers as he stood patiently while the farrier put on a new shoe, and O’Brien subsequently said his conscience was clear that the horse was sound ahead of the race.

Moreover, as part of its 2018 festival review, the BHA had this week introduced pre-race examinations for all horses that included trot-ups on concrete, so the horse was passed fit to race by a team of BHA veterinary officials.

“He had a stone bruise last week and we were very open about that,” O'Brien said.

“He had a full set of x-rays done, high and low, and a full set of scans, just two days ago. It was very obvious where the bruising was on his foot on the x-ray and he came perfectly sound the last couple of days. He did a trot-up this morning on concrete for the BHA inspection and passed that perfectly. Nothing was missed."

Joseph O'Brien and Mark Walsh before the JCB Triumph HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

O’Brien was adamant that what happened was a random event that cannot be legislated for, adding: "Mark said that he seemed fine. He obviously lost a plate going to the start but that happens.

“Footballers break their legs. All sports people do, but unfortunately you can't save a horse when they break their leg because they don't allow themselves to recover. Horses love racing but it was just an awkward jump and landing. Mark said he didn't jump the hurdle great, landed a bit awkwardly and that was it.”

The BHA head of equine health and welfare reported that Sir Erec had passed a pre-race veterinary inspection. The BHA veterinary officer was satisfied with Sir Erec's suitability to race after spreading a right fore plate and being reshod at the start.

O'Brien went on to reference Friday morning’s tragic incident in New Zealand, in which dozens of people were killed in a terrorist attack in Christchurch.

"What happened to Sir Erec was nasty, and I'm devastated, JP is distraught, everyone in the yard is,” he said, “but when you see what happened in New Zealand this morning, it puts a little bit of perspective on things. That might sound a bit cold to say, but it's a factual thing. It's the way it is.”

Sir Erec was one of three fatalities during the Cheltenham Festival, with Ballyward put down after falling in the National Hunt Chase and Invitation Only a casualty in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Nick Rust, BHA chief executive, acknowledged the deaths and insisted they would be looked into as part of a wider assessment and review of the week.

He said: "While the overall injury rate has reduced significantly this year, there will always be an element of risk that can never be entirely eliminated.

“It is the role of the BHA and everyone in the sport to try to reduce that level of risk as much as possible, and do all we reasonably can to prevent injuries that could have been avoided. As such, all the racing incidents from this year’s festival will undergo a rigorous process of review and evaluation.

"We will analyse the evidence alongside the extensive data collected by the 2018 Cheltenham Festival Review to see if any emerging trends can be identified. This will include post-mortem reports, video analysis of incidents and speaking to trainers and jockeys to seek their feedback.”

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