Unseated driver pipped at post

• John Walters drives Stormy Sanz to second place behind Oneofthelads despite losing his seat. Photo: Stacey Lear Photography.

By Tony Scott,
August 25, 2021

Pacing driver John Walters can’t be accused of leaving anything behind on the track after finishing a race at Launceston on Sunday with his own behind almost dragging along the ground.

He was piloting Stormy Sanz in the third race of the evening’s program when within sight of the finish line the seat on his sulky broke and he had to balance and continue the drive to the end.

“It could have been an absolute disaster,” trainer Kent Rattray said.

“He finished up perched on a cross member only about 40 millimetres wide.”

He said the three-year old gelding was well placed at the top of the home straight and could have run on to win when the seat collapsed.

“Johnny did a fantastic job to keep him going without even breaking stride and he still managed to finish second, only beaten a short half head.

“We’ve just got to be thankful that neither Johnny nor the horse were hurt.

“It really was a great piece of horsemanship.”

Rattray said an examination of the sulky after the race indicated there was some form of metal fatigue that had led to the breakage, rather than breaking at a welding seam.

“The cart was only a couple of years old and when I told the supplier he promised to replace it.”

He said Stormy Sanz was showing plenty of promise and would be around to win bigger races.

“It was just a standard race and the owner Nathan Bennett was quite understanding, because we think he’ll be a good chance in some of the feature races later in the year.”