A top driver is in stable condition after suffering a significant medical incident mid-race on Thursday (Jan. 2).
While driving A Gs White Socks in the Group 3 Central Otago Cup at Omakau in southern New Zealand, driver Ricky May collapsed in the race bike and fell to the track while the field completed the first circuit. The race was abandoned, as were those scheduled to follow it.
May was flown to Dunedin Hospital after suffering a heart attack, as was indicated in a report from Harness Racing New Zealand. He has since been reported to be in stable condition, according to racing participant Andrew Fitzgerald.
"Ricky is at this stage in a stable condition," Fitzgerald posted on Twitter. "Doctors continue to monitor his condition and will reassess in the morning."
May has won nearly 3,000 races in New Zealand, including seven iterations of the New Zealand Trotting Cup. He has also won two renewals of the Miracle Mile in Sydney, Australia.
(with files from Harness Racing New Zealand)