Loose Greyhound Chases The SkyBet Chase Field

Saturday saw some remarkable performances from the animals that make this great sport but horses weren't the only things with four legs to grab the attention on the watching on racegoers.

During the Sky Bet Chase, which was superbly won Go Conquer for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies there was another amazing display on the track and that was from a loose Greyhound who chased the 11 runner field in the back end of the £100,000 race.

As the runners and riders came around the track again for the final circuit of the 3 mile Listed contest, the camera's showed the dog on the bend and the other side of the rail to the horses where the ambulance and cars usually drive round, chasing after them.

The rapid canine managed to keep pace with the struggling On Tour such as the speed that the dog was travelling at. Mitchell Bastyan was on board the horse and felt like it helped his runner carry on further than what it should of.

(Credit Racing Post) The jockey said: "I'd just come round the corner and I noticed the dog out the corner of my eye. My lad was having a little look at him, pricking his ears – he was giving us a bit of company in fairness and it might have helped us run on a little bit bit more."

The jockey had to eventually pull the 11 year old On Tour up, but did say the horse proved more of a blessing than an infringement in the overall grand scheme of things and said: "The dog was actually outpacing me so I thought I'd better pull up."

(Credit At The Races)

This race very much reminds us of a similar event that happened in the 1988 Cheltenham Gold Cup where a dog this time got onto the track and tried to jump the fences.

(Credit Racing Post) The Doncaster Clerk of the Course Roderick Duncan said: "The greyhound was on a walk with its owners and slipped its collar but stayed on the service road for the most part.

"The owners were very contrite," he added after confirming the dog, who as yet remains nameless, had soon been caught by the head groundsman and his team. 

On the suggestion that the greyhound looked possibly well handicapped, Duncan responded: "We were wondering if he'd get an entry for next year!"

(Credit At The Races)