A horse was killed when hit by a car at Morphettville this morning with two South Australian riders narrowly escaping injury.

Jockey Brodie Petherick was crossing Bray St, which runs along the side of Morphettville Racecourse, closely followed by Clare Lindop when a taxi struck the horse Petherick was riding.

Petherick, Lindop and the driver were unharmed but the horse, an unraced youngster with the Leon Macdonald stable, was badly injured and had to be destroyed.

The sickening crash happened at 6.30am with the horses on their way to trackwork.

An upset Macdonald said both riders were wearing reflective safety vests and the horses had reflective saddlecloths.

He said Lindop saw the oncoming car and got her mount out of the way but Petherick was unable to avoid the accident.

“There are 300 horses trained around Morphettville that have to cross Bray Street and Morphett Road,” Macdonald said.

“There is a pedestrian crossing across Morphett Road but nothing along Bray Street where the majority are housed. I'm not sure what the answer is. Maybe there needs to be yellow flashing lights or something to constantly warn drivers.”

Macdonald said Petherick, who is indentured to the leading trainer, was uninjured but very shaken by the incident.

The Gary and Lloyd Kennewell barn is the only stable inside the course with the remainder of the Morphettville trainers having to cross either Bray Street or Morphett Road to access the track via the stripping sheds on the south western corner of the course.

In peak hours, but especially in the morning, Morphett Road is bumper to bumper and near misses and common according to trainers.

racing and sports