Injured quartet are working hard
THERE IS mixed news this week on the Wexford jockeys currently on the injured list, but Seán Flanagan, J.J. Slevin and Seán O’Keeffe all are in the course of regaining full fitness and will be back in action before too long.
Seán Flanagan broke his leg in Tramore on August 19; that injury was straightforward and is healing well but the extensive bruising he suffered is proving more difficult to resolve. He is working very hard on his recovery, with regular physio sessions, iced baths and walks in the sea.
‘It is taking a bit longer than at first thought to get back to full fitness,’ he told me. ‘But the main thing is that everything will be fine and I’ll be back in action in a few weeks.’
Seán has been relatively lucky with injuries; the recent Listowel Festival was his first time to miss the September highlight for eleven years.
He did miss out on the big winner of the week at the Festival, Snow Falcon’s success in the €200,000 Kerry National for trainer Noel Meade, under the stable’s number two, Jonathan Moore from Adamstown.
Seán had been the regular pilot on the horse in a host of big races and he was very happy to see it getting such a deserved success.
‘I was really delighted for the horse and all involved, and Jonny who gave him such a good ride.
‘I’m looking forward to having a few more good days on Snow Falcon in the future,’ he said.
J.J. Slevin from Kiltrea, Caim, suffered a bad injury in a fall on August 4, breaking his collar bone in four places.
He had been hoping to make it back for Listowel, but it will be another ten days or fortnight before he returns to the track.
His mother, Elizabeth – sister of Aidan O’Brien – said J.J. has been easing his way back and has been riding out a bit with his cousin, Joseph O’Brien, at Piltown, his main employer.
J.J. has already passed a few notable milestones since turning pro just over two years ago.
He had his first Cheltenham Festival winner in March, 2017, aboard Gordon Elliott’s Champagne Classic; and he rode his first Grade 1 winner this year in the inaugural Dublin Festival of Racing at Leopardstown on cousin Joseph’s Tower Bridge, in his first ride at the very top level.
He capped even that on Easter Monday when riding a great race to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Elliott’s and Gigginstown’s General Principle.
Seán O’Keeffe from Harveystown, Taghmon, had a tempestuous few days in August. He turned professional at the Tramore meeting on August 15, and he had his first win on only his second ride in the paid ranks the next day on Liz Doyle’s Ashjan (11/1) for the Real Deal Syndicate.
Just two days later at Killarney he came back to earth with a bang and a broken collar bone was the outcome.
His dad, Jim, remarked that this typifies the ups and downs of racing but he was positive about Seán’s prospects – he has been doing a bit of riding out and should be back on the track in a week or so.
He shared the novices’ point-to-point championship last season, being collared on the closing weekend by Michael Goff’s stable jockey, Shane Fitzgerald.