| August 2005 The fall of his mount Roll The Dice, Pat Dobbs suffered back injuries, and unfortunately the horse broke a leg and was destroyed. It was this incident that prompted an inspection of the course which led to the course having to close and switch it's meetings to Bath racecourse. There was a previous incident at the course at the previous meeting when another jockey came to grief at around the 5f mark. After a full inspection of the area it was found that there was an infestation of "Leather Jackets" under the turf. These larvae of the crane fly were eating away at roots of the grass, and causing the turf to come away from the soil. This has the effect of the turf moving which has been described at a loose mat moving on a polished floor. It is one of the things that it is impossible to predict or allow for. Chepstow hope that the course will be ready for the September meeting, and it should be fine for what is seen as the official start of the Jump season at with the televised October meeting at the course. Back |