Tom Scudamore has lucky escape after he is hit with by stray golf ball at Newbury races, leaving him with black eye… but jockey manages to laugh it off by saying it has only affected his ‘really good looks’ rather than his vision
- Tom Scudamore had a lucky escape at Newbury races on Saturday afternoon
- He was struck in the face by a golf ball during the John Francome Novices’ Chase
- He said the ball appeared to have been kicked back as he tracked Kalooki
- The injury didn’t stop him from a record-equalling win on Cloth Cap later on
Tom Scudamore had a lucky escape ahead of his record-equalling win on Cloth Cap in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Newbury after being struck in the face by a golf ball on his previous ride.
Newbury has a golf course in the centre of the track and Scudamore, riding runner-up One For The Team in the John Francome Novices’ Chase, said the ball appeared to have been kicked back as he tracked front-running Kalooki.
The jockey said: ‘I was pretty lucky where it hit me just below the eye. It has only affected my really good looks rather than my vision! I have a bit of a black eye but otherwise I’m fine.
Tom Scudamore was in the wars at Newbury after a stray golf ball struck him in the face
‘I can laugh about it now but if it had cost me the winning ride in the Ladbrokes Trophy I would not have been happy. Many tracks have golf courses in the middle of them, you will see the odd golf ball that has strayed from time to time.’
Keith Ottesen, clerk of the course at Newbury, said: ‘The grounds team and I go to great lengths to prepare the track ahead of racing to ensure the safety of all the horses and jockeys.
‘It was brought to our attention after the second race that a buried golf ball had kicked back on Tom and subsequently we conducted a further sweep of the course but found nothing.’
Dual Cheltenham Festival winner Envoi Allen made it 10 wins from 10 starts with an eight-and-a-half-length win in the Grade One Drinmore Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse for trainer Gordon Elliott. Rachael Blackmore-ridden Honeysuckle made it nine races unbeaten by winning a second Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.