Runaway racehorse goes AWOL
Four-year-old filly Flying Run lived up to her name at Brighton races this week but, unfortunately, it wasn’t on the race track.
It all started to go wrong – for her jockey and trainer, at least – as she was cantering up to the start of the Lily and Harry Collins Memorial Selling Stakes yesterday.
Her trainer, Johnny Portman says: ” She tends to take a hold on the way up to the start and her jockey had her head pointed to the rails.
She spooked at something, tripped over the rail and unseated her jockey, Lee Newman.
She ducked under the rail and found herself on an all-weather track on the other side and just went.”
Flying Run soon found herself at East Brighton Golf Club and at one point was spotted on a road where she stopped at a bus stop.
“I’m not sure which one she was waiting for, ” says Johnny.
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“She was heading for Brighton Marina when she was eventually caught by a someone about to tee-off on the golf course.
“Apparently she wasn’t difficult to catch in the end..”
He says that the filly has taken the incident “in her stride” and is no worse for wear after the adventure.
The disappointed trainer explained:”She is a filly of limited ability, but she was on target for that race – she had a chance of winning”.
Johnny Portman says he’s not sure where her next race will be now – but hopefully it will be on a racetrack.
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