Newmarket rider deaths in 24-hour period shock racing community

Newmarket’s racing community has been shocked by the deaths of two of its members within 24 hours of each other.

Twenty-five-year-old Jess Whalley collapsed and died last Tuesday while riding out for former Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer at his new base, Manor House Stables, in Cheshire, owned by former England football star Michael Owen.

The following day, 40-year-old Mazar Allauddin died while riding out for trainer, Robert Cowell, at his stables at Six Mile Bottom.

Jess, who would have celebrated her birthday on Saturday, was well known in Newmarket having spent most of her adult life working in the town.

One of her many friends, Emma Clutterbuck, who worked with Jess at Hugo Palmers when the trainer was still based in Newmarket, said: “She was one of the kindest and most selfless people if you were close to her, hilarious, bubbly, and the friend everybody needed, and she would do anything for you.

“When Hugo moved she wasn’t sure about going but her family came from Cheshire, and that turned out to be a big factor in her moving back and it turned out to be the best move she made. She was the happiest she had ever been and the filly she was riding when it happened was her favourite.

“For the people who were working with her it’s devastating, for those of us who knew her in Newmarket it’s surreal and we still can’t comprehend what has happened.”

Emma said she planned to contact Jockey Club Estates to ask if a tree could be planted by her friends at the top of Warren Hill. “I think there would be a lot of people who would like to have something to remember her by.”

Maxine Bowley had known Jess since they were teenagers and they worked together for William Haggas.

“She was everyone’s queen,” she said. “I started to give her that nickname as she really was a queen to all of us,” said Maxine, who now works for champion trainer Charlie Appleby.

She added: “What happened is still not real yet and js very hard to accept.

“Jess was always there to help when she was needed. She was always smiling and everyone who knew her appreciated her.”

Mr Palmer said he and his staff were devastated by Ms Whalley’s death.“Jess had shown no signs of distress and her family are completely devastated and so is every member of the team here.

“Despite everyone’s best efforts, unfortunately and tragically nothing could be done to save her. The team here who got to her first and performed CPR, did an absolutely amazing job and the medical professionals were quick to praise those involved.”

The trainer said Jess had worked for him at Kremlin Cottage in Newmarket before the job with Michael Owen.

“She thought long and hard before moving up here with us early last year and stayed in Newmarket initially before joining up with us a couple of months later. She had been here for about eight or nine months and had come up in a senior travelling position.

“We’ve had so many messages from owners who she’d spent time with at the races just saying what a wonderful, lovely, girl she was. She’d really grown into her new role.

“She was only 25 but you could see she was really thriving. She was very good at her job and she died doing a job she loved.”

Twenty four hours after the tragedy, staff at Robert Cowell’s Bottisham Heath Stud were in shock following the death of their work colleague Mazar Allauddin at around 8.47am.

“We are all devastated here at the yard as you can imagine,” said Mr Cowell.

“Although Mazar was only here for two to three weeks he was a very smiley, cheerful person, an accomplished horseman, and quickly became a valued member of our small team. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.”

In a statement, a spokeman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “We were called at about 8.50am to reports a person had fallen from a horse on London Road, Newmarket. Emergency services attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The investigation is being treated as an industrial accident and has been handed over to the health and safety executive.

“The coroner has been informed.”