'I saw my finger was missing' - clerk of the course reveals loose horse ordeal

A clerk of the course in Australia has relived the dramatic ordeal of losing part of his finger in a barrier trial incident at Tatura racecourse in Victoria.

Tim Cossor, who has looked after the track for 42 years, was aboard his horse Clarence when chasing down a loose horse which had escaped from the stalls during the barrier trial. He was able to get hold of the horse but it then ducked underneath Clarence, throwing him to the ground. 

While Cossor was able to get up after his fall, part of his right ring finger was sliced off. Although it was retrieved, doctors were unable to reattach it following surgery at nearby Bendigo hospital.

"A horse got loose and jumped out the front of the barriers riderless and I chased it. I caught the horse but then he ducked underneath me and my horse and we flipped over the top of him," Cossor told Racing.com.

"We hit the turf and it took the wind out of me. I was lying on the track thinking 'Oh no, I've hurt myself here', but I didn't know about the finger at this stage. I've picked myself up and only then have I seen that my finger was missing."

The two horses were unscathed after last week's incident and Cossor refused to go to hospital before checking on them.

He hopes to return to clerking next month and has been able to continue to play in a band as bass guitarist in his spare time.

Cosser said: "I was looking down at my hand thinking 'Oh s***', and then I went 'Hang on, I don't use that finger to play', and that realisation was a massive relief. 

"Then the nice ambulance guy rocked up and was trying to patch up the wound and I was like 'I've got the finger'. They put it into a plastic bag and by then my hand was bleeding all over the place.

"We played at a 40th birthday on Saturday night and I played too, I just taped my hand up. It didn't hurt because I don't need to use that finger or where that finger was. 

"I've loved music most of my life and we're a working band playing almost every weekend, so it's a massive part of my life and it would've been terrible if it had been one of my other fingers and I couldn't play anymore.

"Luckily Clarence and I were both able to walk away from it okay and that's what matters. Lots of people have lost a finger or two, it's not a big deal. At the end of the day, you can't feel sorry for yourself, you have to stay positive and fight on another day."

Read these next:

A fall (or was it a UR?), a bumper I can't even remember and a late-night trip to the hospital   

'Sheikh Fahad loves British tradition and history' - Qatar Racing move fast to name two-year-old King's Coronation 

Tom Segal tipped 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj at 20-1 - subscribe now with 50% off and don't miss out on a massive month for Pricewise  

Do you want £200+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.