“Horse racing in Montrose” plus 1 more |
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| Horse kick blamed for handler death on debut eve Posted: 13 Sep 2010 03:32 PM PDT Tragedy struck the racecourse early on Monday when a three-year-old horse set to make his racing debut this Wednesday apparently dealt a fatal kick to his handler while being groomed at a city stable. Raghunath Paswan, 45, was found unconscious on the horse bedding next to his ward Ajayajeet at the 2 Bakery Road stable around 5.15am. He was rushed to SSKM Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Colleagues told Metro that Raghunath, who had been looking after Ajayajeet for two years, died after being kicked by the horse with his right hind leg. A forensic expert at SSKM Hospital confirmed that Paswan died of internal haemorrhage. "The post-mortem revealed internal injury in his abdomen as the cause of death. We also found an injury mark on one of his legs that could have been caused by the hoof of a horse," he added. Officials of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club contested the finding, fearing it might threaten Wednesday's Finalist Plate for which Ajayajeet is a top contender. "The handler died of natural causes, possibly a seizure or a heart attack. There was not a scratch on his body. So why blame the poor horse?" countered a club official. Ajayajeet's trainer, former jockey Richard Alford, declined to comment on Raghunath's death but did say that he had "never seen or heard of anyone dying of a horse's kick" on the racecourse" in five decades. Horseracing guides, however, warn that a kick can be fast, ferocious and fatal. Handlers are more wary of the hind-leg hooves because they come at a greater speed than the front legs. The speed of a horse's kick can range between 48 and 80kmph. Of the two handlers' unions at the turf club, one demanded immediate compensation and employment for a member of Raghunath's family. "Tending to a horse that weighs around 450kg isn't easy but we don't even get insurance," complained a colleague. Trainer Richard described Ajayajeet — sired by Irish stallion Eljohar and born to My Dear Lady — as a "normal horse" with the potential to be a winner. Co-owned by Sanjay Agarwal and H.S. Gill, Ajayajeet's performance in a mock race three weeks ago had left both enthusiasts and punters excited about his debut. The odds on Ajayajeet for his first race are around 4:1. Sources at the Bakery Road stable, one of three managed by the turf club, said they could be sure Wednesday's race would go ahead only if the horses were put through their paces on Tuesday. "No horse was taken out after Monday's tragedy. If they don't roll the horses on Tuesday as well, the race might be cancelled. Horses need to undergo a strict regimen to remain supple before a race," a source said. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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