A New South Wales coroner has recommended that Racing NSW develop clearer guidance on major orthopaedic injuries and consider reducing its mandatory stand-down threshold for horses returning from racing absences, following an inquest into the death of French apprentice jockey Marina Morel, who died on February 12, 2022, four days after a fall at Gulgong Racecourse.
Coroner recommends tighter injury-return rules for racehorses after jockey Marina Morel's death
A New South Wales coroner has recommended that Racing NSW develop clearer guidance on major orthopaedic injuries and consider reducing its mandatory stand-down threshold for horses returning from racing absences, following an inquest into the death of French apprentice jockey Marina Morel, who died on February 12, 2022, four days after a fall at Gulgong Racecourse.
Morel, 30, was riding Lina's Choice during track work at Gulgong Racecourse on February 8, 2022, when the mare suffered a catastrophic leg injury while galloping past the winning post. Morel was thrown to the ground and the mare rolled on top of her, causing blunt-force injuries to her head, neck and chest. She was flown to Westmead Hospital in Sydney, where she died four days later. Lina's Choice was euthanased at the racecourse.
The inquest examined whether a prior injury to Lina's Choice contributed to the fall and whether the death could have been prevented. Lina's Choice had suffered a ligament injury to her right front leg in March 2021. Veterinarian Jack Holman recommended nine to 12 months of rest, but the mare returned to work after six months and 22 days.
Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee found the shortened rest period was consistent with academic literature for similar injuries and that trainer Brett Thompson, of BKB Racing in Gulgong, had appropriately managed the mare's return. Lee also found no signs of lameness during recovery and no evidence that the manner of return predisposed the mare to stress fractures. Evidence before the inquest indicated the mare had been performing 'well above expectations' in the lead-up to the incident.
After returning to work, Lina's Choice completed a barrier trial and two races at Wellington and Dubbo before Morel's death. Six days before the fatal incident, equine chiropractor Gary Christou detected some chest stiffness and recommended the mare be monitored. Lee found that response was appropriate and that the stiffness alone did not indicate a veterinary assessment was required. The coroner found Lina's Choice had developed stress fractures in her left humerus, which caused the catastrophic fracture during track work, and that there was no evidence the previous ligament injury was associated with those stress fractures.
Morel had come to Australia from France in 2014 to pursue a career as a professional jockey and had begun work as an apprentice at the Gulgong Turf Club in 2021. Her family attended the inquest hearing remotely from France with the assistance of an interpreter.
- The source does not state whether Racing NSW has responded to or indicated it will adopt the coroner's recommendations.
- The source does not state the coroner's finding on the precise cause of the stress fractures in Lina's Choice's left humerus.
- The source does not state whether Thompson or any other party faced or faces any legal or regulatory consequences following the inquest.
- The source does not state the current Racing NSW policy on trainer reporting requirements for horses returning from injury short of the 150-day threshold.
- The source does not include any statement from Morel's family about the findings or recommendations.
Read the original at ABC News Australia