Baggy Hills race not for the faint-hearted

TRACKSIDE/YouTube

Eight of the 14 jockeys in Baggy Hillis Memorial Steeplechase at Te Rapa failed to finish amid chaotic scenes.

It was bedlam over the fences at Te Rapa, Waikato's premier racecourse.

In the last day of the jumps racing season on Sunday, the Baggy Hillis Memorial Steeplechase turned out daggy - and not for the faint-hearted.

Fourteen horses faced the starter for the 4000m event with 15 fences to jump, but just six completed the course after a chapter of accidents, and one of those was more than 100 metres behind the others.

Veteran commentator George Simon reckoned Baggy Hillis, a character of New Zealand jumps racing who died three months ago, would be laughing in his beer at what unfolded.

The chaos began at the first jump, where favourite Noah Jon crashed and Hold The Dream followed him out.

Another popular fancy with the punters, Hemingway, crashed at the next fence, and Just Gorgeous, who jumped it poorly, was pulled out of the race.

''They're dropping like flies for you Baggy,'' Simon exclaimed.

Straight Furrow joined the action when he ran off the proper route after rider Reece Cole lost his stirrups and control of the horse.

Here is the original post:
Baggy Hills race not for the faint-hearted