sport news Ben Melham slams Racing Victoria treatment of jockeys after partner Jamie Kah ... trends now
Top jockey Ben Melham has launched a withering spray at Racing Victoria, claiming their focus on 'turnover and revenue' is at the 'expense of people's lives' after Saturday's meeting featured the third sickening fall in a fortnight.
The 18-time Group 1 winner, whose partner - the glamorous superstar rider Jamie Kah - had to be rushed to hospital in a critical condition a horror incident at Flemington last weekend, is clearly fed-up with seeing his fellow riders fight for their lives on race day.
It comes after Teo Nugent was left with a fractured C1 vertebrae and his mount Florescent Star had to be euthanized after being involved with a nasty fall on All Star Mile day at Mooney Valley on Saturday.
It means the last three Saturday meetings in Victoria have seen jockeys rushed to hospital after a race fall.
It started with Ethan Brown suffering internal injuries after a fall in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 4, before Kah and Craig Williams were rushed to hospital last weekend after the horrifying fall in the Sires Produce Stakes.
Ben Melham has criticised Racing Victoria after his partner Jamie Kah (pictured) was one of four high-profile jockeys to be rushed to hospital after a sickening race fall in just a fortnight
Kah and Melham are one of racing's biggest and most glamorous power couples
Kah's head injury was so significant (though she has been cleared of brain bleeding and fractures she remains in hospital, after Melham said she had to be 'heavily sedated to allow her brain to rest' after the accident.
Williams' injury list is also significant, suffering a fractured collarbone, broken ribs, fractured finger and concussion as a result of the fall.
After seeing Nugent become the fourth high-profile injury casualty of a race fall in just a fortnight, Melham had obviously had enough.
'The elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Victorian workload on racing participants in far too high,' he wrote on social media.
'Turnover and revenue is important, but not at the expense of peoples lives. Fatigue kills!
'Hopefully three near-death experiences in three weeks is enough.'
Jamie Kah (right, pictured at Royal Ascot in the UK last year) is still recovering from a nasty fall last weekend
Kah was rushed to hospital after the sickening fall, which left her with a heavy concussion. The superstar jockey is still in hospital dealing with the effects
Ethan Brown is comforted by his partner in hospital after a horror fall on March 4 left him with internal injuries
He then explained exactly why he believes
