1 Jan 2013

Racing Community expresses sadness at death of jockey

8:52 am on 1 January 2013

The New Zealand racing community has expressed its sadness at the death of a jockey after a race fall at the Kurow race course on Sunday,near Oamaru.

Ashlee Marie Mundy fell in race seven when her mount, Elleaye, clipped a heel of the horse in front and fell approaching the 600-metre mark.

The 26-year-old was taken by helicopter to hospital in Dunedin in a critical condition.

The Racing Integrity Unit will be conducting a full review of the incident and will issue a report after interviewing all jockeys riding at Kurow.

The Police have also begun preparing a report on the incident.

The president of the New Zealand Jockeys' Association, Dave Taylor, says all jockeys riding in race seven tomorrow, at Ellerslie, Hastings and Waikouaiti, will be wearing black arm bands and there will be a minute's silence 20 minutes before the first race.

Ashlee Mundy, from Westport, rode a total of 232 winners in New Zealand including four black type races.

She has been riding in Australia for the last few years and had returned to New Zealand for a holiday and riding.

It is the first time a jockey has died in New Zealand from injuries suffered in a race fall for nearly nine years.