Jockey seriously injured in fall at Home Hill races
A TOWNSVILLE jockey has suffered horrific injuries after a fall at the Home Hill Derby Day races on Saturday.
Jeffrey Felix, 45, was taken to Townsville Hospital with a fractured skull and collarbone, a broken nose, facial lacerations and internal bleeding from what is believed to be a ruptured spleen when his mount Mytang fell during the fifth race of the event.
The incident happened at the Burdekin Race Club near the 1300m mark in the Entec Class B Handicap over 1460m on Saturday afternoon.
Felix and his mount fell across the race field in front of Mackay jockey Katrina Aho and her mount Gondwana Bay, who were going too fast to stop behind them.
Aho, 38, also fell off her horse during the incident but escaped without injury.
The incident left racegoers concerned when two horses galloped down the straight with no jockeys.
“I’m a bit shaken of course,” she said.
“It’s a little difficult when you come off on a full gallop.”
Aho’s horse was behind Felix’s when the fall happened and had to attempt to jump the fallen jockey and animal.
Felix is known to Aho and she said that while he had sustained serious injuries on numerous occasions, he would definitely continue to race.
This was despite Felix only recently returning to racing after a serious fall in Innisfail earlier this year.
“He’s been Aho said. so unlucky,”
“He’s had so many dents it’s not funny.
“But he will never stop racing.”
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Senior steward Paul Gillard said he had been informed that Felix was resting comfortably and was responsive. acci-