Cheltenham racecourse said on Thursday evening that the circumstances surrounding an incident on Wednesday when the photographer Patrick McCann was struck by a horse will form part of the track’s review of the Festival next week, but that there are no immediate concerns that change is required to its rules on where photographers are allowed to work.
“This will obviously form part of our review of the Festival,” Sophia Brudenell, Cheltenham’s spokeswoman, said, “but as things stand, we have no concerns about where Patrick was standing.”
McCann, who lives in Ireland, is an experienced photographer who covers Irish racing for the Racing Post. He was recovering in Southmead hospital in Bristol on Thursday afternoon after undergoing surgery for a broken leg.
McCann suffered two broken bones when Toutancarmont jumped left at the second-last obstacle in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase, the only race at the Festival which is staged on Cheltenham’s cross-country course. Toutancarmont then carried Quantitativeeasing through a running rail close to where McCann was standing, and though he tried to duck away from Quantitativeeasing, he was injured by one of the horse’s hoofs as he did so.
“He has returned from surgery and there were no complications,” Adrian McGoldrick, the Irish Turf Club’s chief medical officer, said on Thursday. “The breaks were clean, the surgery went well and Patrick returned to the ward just after lunchtime.” McGoldrick estimated that McCann’s recovery from the injury could take between 10 and 12 weeks.
Nina Carberry and Quantitativeeasing are forced towards the rail after the second last #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/hL9HC0CUhB
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) March 12, 2015
Quantitativeeasing smashes through the rail and out of the race #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/lrOPbfxPkD
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) March 12, 2015
Nina Carberry takes action to try and stay in the cross-country chase #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/v5FV4JzGNs
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) March 12, 2015
