Chin hits Santa Rosa negligence

RACEHORSE owner Derek Chin has made a strong appeal to the Arima Race Club (ARC) to put things in place to avoid a recurrence of the incident which resulted in the death of Daredevil Hero. Chin slammed the ARC for what he described as “complete incompetence and gross negligence.” Daredevil Hero fell at the start of the Southern Sales & Services Eric “Colt” Durant Memorial Handicap on Indian Arrival Day, Monday last week, throwing apprentice rider Gary Laban, and making three circuits of the course before landing in a ditch. Chin pointed out that the loose and frightened horse was able to exit the Santa Rosa Park, Arima, track and enter a very dangerous area, because of a 30 foot gap in the rails which should never have been left open during a race.

He said, he had grounds for legal action, “but personally because of my support for the sport locally, and my involvement in seeing it developed properly, I am caught in somewhat of a dilemma.” But Chin expressed the hope that the shortcomings which resulted in the loss of his horse Daredevil Hero would be addressed and rectified immediately. And he suggested three measures which he believes should be implemented for the future. He urged the ARC to employ properly trained outriders to deal effectively with loose horses, “a norm at any North American race track.”

Chin also said the ARC should ensure race track rails are in place and properly sealed so no untended horse can exit and risk injury to itself and the public. And Chin urged Arc to take a safety audit at the track and paddock to minimise the many dangers very present at the existing facility. He said the untimely and unnecessary demise of his champion and prized race horse Daredevil Hero has caused him great personal distress and certainly dampened his otherwise great enthusiasm for the sport of local horse racing, in which his family and himself had been involved for 54 years. Chin also expressed doubts at the absence of new and positive initiatives by the ARC executive.