Punchestown Festival chaos as horses and jockeys smash into railing

Pre-race favourite Fralimonti Bilbery caused chaos at the 2.30pm at Punchestown today after colliding with the railings. The horse was 3/1 to win the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup, and was going well when the incident happened.

Fralimonti Bilbery was well placed in the leading pack when he appeared to try to make ground on the inside of Haggard. However, he then seemed to vere off to the right. The railings were dislodged after being hit, and then they appeared to run across the horse and jockey Jack Hendrick.

Haggard, ridden by Eion Staples, then attempted to weave around the railings. At least four horses were also disrupted, forced to swerve and take evasive action.

Moments later, both Fralimonti Bilbery and Haggard were pulled up. Transprint went on to win the race at 22/1, with Turnedupdevolume second and Knockiel Synge third.

Mercifully, both horses appeared to be ok afterwards. The rails at Punchestown are made of white plastic, and are all slotted into one another rather than like glued becuase of the potential for instances like the one this afternoon.

On Racing TV, commentators tried to analyse the chaos, with one explaining: "It's Fralimonti Bilbery who looks like he's trying to get a run up the inside of Haggard here.

"They're crossing a road, the rail gets dislodged. I don't know, is it by one of the runners up ahead? It's very, very hard to tell from this angle. But would you look at that?"

Today was the opening day of the festival in Naas, County Kildare, with the Naas, County Kildare, with the William Hill Champion Chase Day the marquee race. The event runs until Saturday.