A racehorse caused chaos in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, on Thursday evening when it escaped from the track and galloped into the nearby town after completing a race. The three-year-old colt Levens Hall, owned by Godolphin and trained by John and Thady Gosden, had just finished third in a one-mile maiden race at Southwell racecourse.
Ridden by jockey Luke Catton, the 14-1 chance made rapid headway in the closing stages to snatch third place, less than a length behind stablemate Harmonics, the winner. However, after crossing the line, the horse unseated its rider and ran loose, breaking through the rails and heading off the track.
John Holliday, the clerk of the course, explained to Sky Sports Racing: “The jockey was unseated after the race on the way back to the horsewalk. The horse broke through the rails, across the golf course and made it as far as Racecourse Road and he got down to Southwell town unfortunately.”
The horse galloped approximately two miles down Racecourse Road into the town centre before eventually being caught in a wheat field on the other side. Holliday confirmed the horse was visually unscathed and would be checked thoroughly by vets. The following race was delayed to allow the horse ambulance to return to position.
