For those who don’t know about the Warrnambool Carnival, it is the pinnacle of jumps racing, however it is also the time where there is a lot of money at stake, and as such we see horses continually killed. In 2009, over the three-day carnival, three horses were killed in jumps races. And you may remember ‘that incident’ last year where Banna Strand dumped his rider and jumped over a 2 metre fence injuring spectators.

On the first day of the Warrnambool carnival, three jumps races were scheduled. While the first two races were run without apparent incident (although two horses were pulled out of those two races), the $100,00 Brierly Steeplechase delivered the ‘thrills and spills’ that jumps fanatics crave.

Eight year old Phaze Action crashed through the wing of a jump on the final lap. Following the fall, Phaze Action got up, ran frantically, limping, and crashed into the rail before being capture by a stewards horse. As a result of the collision, Phaze Action was left bleeding from both nostrils, and as our photos reveal, he appears to have an obvious deformity on his left point of hip.

The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses fears for the life of Phaze Action, and we will await to see whether he races another day or becomes another un-recorded victim of jumps racing.

Please note: If a horse is killed at Warrnambool this week, we will be holding a demonstration on Friday May 4, in Bourke St Mall at 12pm. Mark your diaries.