Two groundsmen narrowly escaped disaster as they were forced to take avoiding action from oncoming horses during a race at Hereford Racecourse.
The incident occurred during the first race of the day with a 3m1f handicap chase being contested by four horses.
After the field had finished a circuit, two men were standing in the middle of the course, just metres away from the landing side of the third to last fence.
The pair were carrying pitchforks to repair the track surface, but did not realise four horses were running.
Racecourse groundstaff were nearly hit by four horses
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As the men realised they were in the middle of the race, one of them dropped his pitchfork.
Both of them swerved to safety, with no horse making contact with either man or equipment.
Gavin Sheehan, riding eventual winner Mahler Moon, had to steer his horse wide of the area.
The race concluded with no further incidents, but it did raise questions as to why the men were there.
The pair initially had their backs turned to the runners
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A report was sent to the British Horseracing Association head office for further consideration following the incident.
The post-race stewards' report said: "The Stewards held an enquiry into the circumstances surrounding why two members of the ground staff remained on the track approximately 100 yards after the third-last fence as the field jumped it, leaving a fork on the track as they left, causing the riders to take evasive action.
"The Clerk of the Course, the General Manager, the Head Groundsman and Gavin Sheehan were interviewed and shown a recording."
The incident occurred at Hereford Racecourse
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Sheehan's horse, trained by his regular partner Jamie Snowden, won by nine lengths, extending his lead after the final fence.
The incident follows a stir in the horse racing world after Ascot racecourse released a statement saying it has decided to give notice to leave the racecourse association.
Ascot's decision came after Goodwood, The Jockey Club, Newbury and York collectively wrote to the RCA in March, calling for an "urgent review" of its governance to support industry change.
They set out objectives which aimed to ensure balanced and credible board representation, allowing significant views from key racecourses to influence outcomes, and enabling the organisation to act decisively on issues affecting the wider industry.
Mahler Moon went on to win the race
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The RCA responded in a statement to Ascot's decision yesterday, which read: "The Racecourse Association was disappointed to learn of Ascot Racecourse's intention to leave the representative body of British racecourses at the end of 2026.
"As cited in media sources on Monday, the RCA is currently undertaking a thorough governance review at the request of a number of our members. This process is expected to conclude by July 31, 2026, at which point we will present the findings and recommendations to our board.
"Throughout this process, the RCA Board, Executive and members, including the other signatories to the initial call for a review, have worked closely and in good faith to ensure the review delivers the changes required to benefit British horseracing.
"The RCA remains committed to being a positive advocate for the sport and delivering its extensive portfolio of services to all its 58 members. We look forward to the conclusion of the review, which we are confident will provide all members with the confidence and security to future-proof the RCA and our contribution to the administration of British horseracing."
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