Cody Wyoming, trained by Heather Main at Kingston Lisle, near Wantage, sprang a 100-1 shock in a dramatic opening race at Lingfield yesterday.
The five-year-old, ridden by Dominic Els-worth, came home a length and three-quarters clear of 33-1 shot Petit Ecuyer in the maiden hurdle over an extended two miles.
But the real drama came with a spate of early casualties, which saw Rodi Greene and Aidan Coleman taken to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill in separate ambulances.
Greene displaced a bone in his neck, and is unable to fully manoeuvre his right arm after taking a frightening tumble from Diamond Twister at the first flight.
Coleman was released without having sustained any serious injuries after coming off Spirit D’Armor at the third obstacle.
It led to racing being delayed by more than half an hour, with officials waiting for the ambulances to return to the track. As well as the two unseated jockeys, there were two other fallers.
The Strawberry One fell at the first flight, while Buona Sarah suffered a fatal injury when coming down at the second.
Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon also struck at the Surrey venue when Hildisvini completed a hat-trick with victory in a novices’ hurdle over an extended two miles and three furlongs.
Winner of a Warwick bumper and a Sandown novices’ hurdle, the five-year-old justified 10-11 favouritism under Felix de Giles with a gutsy half-length verdict over Cleaver.
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