Kelso is hit by void rule

For the second time in less than a month, Kelso racecourse was the scene of a controversial incident yesterday as widely debated Jockey Club rules resulted in the fourth race being made void.

The two-mile handicap chase was brought to a halt after Terrible Gel fell and died at the second fence and prevented the field jumping the obstacle on the second circuit.

At the meeting on 24 March a similar incident occurred, but on that occasion the result was allowed to stand after the runners had jumped the fence where a stricken horse lay.

Steps are being taken to amend the rules to allow a result to stand if a fence is missed out, but they have not been finalised. The Jockey Club's spokesman, David Pipe, said: "It's up in the air, but we are expecting to be knocking out something about a change soon."

Boro Smackeroo, who looked the likely winner when forced to pull up, had been the subject of a gamble, being sent off at 11-4 after being 11- 2 in the morning. "What am I going to tell the owners, I don't think they are going to be too pleased," his trainer, Howard Johnson, said. "I'm sure he would have won."