Shocking incident in Riccarton feature mars Kylie Williams’ special milestone

Kylie Williams was all smiles after career win 1000. Photo/Ajay Berry

South Island rider Kylie Williams brought up a significant career milestone when she steered Riviera Rebel to a convincing victory in the feature flat event at Riccarton, the Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup.

But the race was marred by a horrific incident, albeit one that could have had far worse results.

Williams had been steadily closing in on 1000 career wins in the saddle and after taking out the first race on the card on Miss Ziggy to sit on 999, she became the first female rider in New Zealand to reach the landmark figure with a well-judged effort as she led practically all the way on the Graeme Eade and Brooke Kincaid-trained 5-year-old.

However, while that 1000-win milestone was the major highlight of the contest, the race is likely to be remembered for all the wrong reasons after Richard Stomper and rider Brandon May fell heavily at 600m when tracking the pacemakers, in the process bringing down King Of The Castle (Jack Taplin), Koyama (Yogesh Atchamah), She’s So Reliable (Bridget Grylls) and hampering Proserve, who lost rider Brett Murray.

With carnage ensuing behind her, Williams never looked back as Riviera Rebel fought off the attentions of Moussaieff and then the late-closing Elegant Lady to register his seventh career victory and fourth at Riccarton.

Kincaid said it was a surreal feeling after the race as the joy of victory was tempered by concerns for those involved in the fall.

“It’s a little bit hard to know what to feel right now as we are just so thrilled for Kylie and the horse but you never want to see what happened and all we want to know is that everyone is okay,” Kincaid said.

“This little horse has been so good to us. He gave me my first training win, our first stakes win when he took out the Canterbury Gold Cup [Group 3, 2000m] and now Kylie’s 1000th winner.

“He is such a fighter and just so tough. He wasn’t letting anything past him today and when he gets to the front you can just about see him grit his teeth and just fight for all he is worth.

“He didn’t start off his prep that well as I think he may have had a niggling injury that took some time for him to get over, but since his last start he has just been bouncing and he was more than ready for today.

“Our main target now will be the Spring Classic [Listed, 2000m] back here next month and then we will just have to see where we go after that.”

Stipendiary stewards provided an update on all riders and horses, with May (pelvis), Grylls (shoulder/arm) and Taplin (wrist) transferred to hospital for further observation and treatment, while Atchamah (possible concussion) and Murray were cleared of any serious injury.

All horses came through the incident relatively unscathed with just bumps, bruises and scrapes reported. Stipendiary stewards met with the remaining jockeys on-course and it was agreed the final two races of the day would be abandoned.

Bred by Phillip Jeffreys, who also shares in his ownership with Eade and Eade’s wife Patricia, Riviera Rebel is the first foal of two-race winner Chambon and comes from a family that includes Gr.oup 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Sawatdee. He has now won seven of his 29 starts and more than $264,000 in prizemoney.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk