Racing News: For the second time in less than three months Irish racing has been plunged into mourning following the death on Saturday night of jockey Seán Cleary.
The scheduled meetings at Leopardstown and Clonmel yesterday were cancelled as a mark of respect as the racing industry tried to come to terms with this latest tragedy.
Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said yesterday: "Everyone's thoughts are with Seán Cleary's family and his fellow jockeys. This is a tragic time."
Cleary, whose girlfriend, Maggie Farrell, gave birth to a boy in Dublin's Rotunda Hospital on Wednesday, rode 33 winners during his short career, the first of which was Montana Lady at Cork in June of 2000. His most significant victory was on Bubble N Squeak in last year's November Handicap.
Originally apprenticed to Jim Bolger for three years, the popular young jockey was carving out a successful career for trainer Pat Flynn when he sustained his fatal injuries.
Cleary's mount, the Paddy Mullins-trained All Heart, clipped heels and came down during the Corrib Oil Auction Race.
"Seán was a good rider and a lovely, mannerly gentleman. He was a credit to this family. It's a terrible situation that he has been cruelly mowed down in the prime of his life. He was very dedicated and had a real future as a strong lightweight jockey," said Pat Flynn yesterday.
Fellow apprentice David Condon, who is in Australia to ride Holy Orders in tomorrow's Melbourne Cup, was quick to pay tribute to Cleary.
He said: "Seán was a very good friend of mine. We went racing on numerous occasions when he was working with Jim Bolger. It's very sad news and I will be riding on Tuesday in Seán's memory."
After Cleary's accident, and in view of other recent incidents of serious head injury, calls were made for a review of the helmets used by jockeys in this country.
Both Horse Racing Ireland and the Turf Club insisted yesterday that safety is an ongoing concern and defended the quality of the helmets used by riders in this country.
"European standards come up for review every five years and this is one of those years. But the helmets we use in Ireland are identical to the ones used in Australia and in France and they all come up to European standards," the Turf Club medical officer, Dr Walter Halley, said yesterday.
"The reality is that there are certain types of situations where no matter what you are wearing, it just won't do it. Riding horses is a high-speed and high-risk sport and accidents do happen.
"At Leopardstown last week, Helen Keohane was left out cold even though the horse she was on was being led by the trainer," he added.
Kavanagh also emphasised the dangers faced by jockeys every time they go out to race.
"I don't believe that anything has changed in recent months. One can't get away from the fact that riding horses is a hazardous occupation.
"But I also know that health and safety procedures are constantly being reviewed and that everything that can be done to protect jockeys is being done," he said.
The meeting scheduled for Leopardstown yesterday, the final day of the flat season, will now be run this coming Saturday, November 8th. The Clonmel meeting has been abandoned but a replacement fixture will be made before the end of the year.
