SCANS and X-rays will reveal the extent of injuries suffered by Parkes trainer-driver Malcolm Hutchings after he was admitted to hospital in the wake of a sickening eight-horse crash at Dubbo Paceway on Saturday night.
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Hutchings was driving Gracey Grace in the Neville Logan Pace and was positioned outside the leader Kyalla Stuart when that horse galloped and fell with less than 400m to go, causing a domino effect throughout the remainder of the 10-horse field.
Only two horses finished the race with the winner, Imposing Belle, ironically being driven by Hutchings' son Mitch.
Delayed concussion forced the 55-year-old to be admitted to Parkes hospital on Sunday, where he has also been further diagnosed with a bruised kidney and a possible fractured hip.
Gunnedah trainer-driver Sally Torrens, who drove Itaintrocketscience in the race, had minor surgery on Sunday to repair a deep cut to her elbow however the remainder of the fallen drivers miraculaously escaped serious injury.
The fall continued a poor run for the Hutchings’ at the Dubbo track, following on from a fall suffered by Mitch on the night of Boxing Day 2011 and one in between for Brett Hutchings, who rushed back to Parkes when he heard of the incident.
“I was away and didn’t see the fall straight away but my sister told me about it and then mum called me on Sunday and said dad wasn’t well and was in hospital,” Brett Hutchings said.
“I spoke to Mitch on Saturday night and he said dad was sore but then on Sunday morning he was in pain in his hip and started vomiting so they kept him in hospital.
“I visited him on Sunday night and he seemed OK but he has been having patches where you can talk to him and then he just falls asleep.
“He also has a couple of lumps like cricket balls on his kidney where he must have been trodden on by a horse and some low blood pressure so they’re just going to keep an eye on that before they let him come home.”
Torrens is expected to be out of the gig for a couple of weeks after surgery on Sunday removed a significant amount of grit from her elbow.
The injury has been stitched up and will need time to heal but she admitted yesterday it could have been much worse.
“I can’t remember too much of it and I haven’t seen the replay but I do know I was travelling like the winner out three wide when the one on the inside (Kyalla Stuart) fell,” she said.
“I think Mal Hutchings’ horse was inside me at the time but apart from that I don’t know.
“I’ve got a few bumps and bruises and I got told by Emma Turnbull that one of the other drivers told her their horse got me but overall I’ve been lucky.
“When you think that eight horses came down and all I got was an elbow cut and a few bruises it’s pretty lucky.”