A race meet was abandoned in Killarney after two jockeys were taken to hospital following a nasty fall.

Patrick O’Brien and Joey Dunne were the two jockeys who had to be treated following two falls in separate races. Both men fell off Eric McNamara-trained horses, O’Brien falling off Gaelic Des Chastys and Dunne off Kilkee Bay.

O’Brien recently celebrated his first win at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year, and fell victim to the second-to-last fence, as did Dunne.

killarney jockeys
Joey Dunne. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

With two races left on the card, a handicap chase and bumper, the meet had to be abandoned after a long delay to deal with the two jockeys following the falls.

Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s raceday operations manager Colman Sweeney spoke to Racing TV about the abandonment, saying: ‘With the fading light and sunset at 8.43 pm, it wasn’t viable to keep pushing through with a chase and a bumper. We had ambulances come, but riders had to be transferred so they could go to hospital. For everyone’s safety, it wasn’t feasible to keep going.

‘There was a delay getting some medical equipment from one ambulance to the one on the track as one was dealing with a rider inside the weighing room. It had nothing to do with the delay, and it was short. Unfortunately, Patrick O’Brien took a fall and had to be attended to, and that’s really what happened.’

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Frankendael, with Patrick O’Brien up, jumped the last first time round during the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle on day one of the Punchestown Festival. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB’s chief medical officer, added an update on the riders’ condition.

‘Patrick O’Brien sustained a heavy fall in the sixth race at Killarney which required careful and lengthy medical assessment and treatment,’ she said. ‘I’m pleased to report that Patrick was conscious and moving all limbs when leaving the racecourse.

‘Joey Dunne also required a hospital transfer, and he was conscious and moving all limbs when departing the track. On initial assessment, neither of the two riders appeared to have sustained any serious spinal or head injuries, and both have been transferred to University Hospital Kerry for further assessment and overnight observation.’