Sudbury Downs' Sunday afternoon card of harness racing was marred by an accident in the eighth and final race which sent an injured David Dowling to hospital.

The accident occurred at the start of the race, which was contested over a ‘sloppy’ track. After leaving from the outside post positions, Paul MacLean and David Dowling grabbed up their horses when the starter had difficulty leaving and the pair hooked wheels. Dowling was unseated during the incident and his horse, Stable Eyes, collapsed over the grandstand fence. MacLean managed to pull up his trainee, Ideal Odds.

Trot Insider has learned that Dowling was taken to hospital following the accident and x-rays revealed he suffered a fractured foot. Dowling is expected to be sidelined with a cast for six weeks.

Stable Eyes suffered a scraped knee. MacLean and Ideal Odds escaped serious injury.

Dowling had won three races earlier on the card, as he had scored with Wayne MacLean trainees Mr Why and last week's Late Bloomer Series runner-up Hot N Shooting as well as Windsong Experanza in a Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 event for trainer and co-owner Mike Lamoureux.

The streaking Spartacus Jim, who is also trained by Lamoureux, won the $6,000 Preferred 2 Handicap feature in 2:01.4 to help Justin Turcotte to his own driving triple on the card.

Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Dave Dowling a full and speedy recovery.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Sudbury Downs.