Glut of injuries for Wexford riders
WEXFORD JOCKEYS have suffered a glut of injuries in recent times, and the latest to join the list is P.J. McDonald from Monastery Avenue, Taghmon, who has been hitting the big time on the flat in Britain, particularly over the past couple of years.
He joins Irish-based jumps jockeys Seán Flanagan, Palace East; J.J. Slevin from Kiltrea, Caim, and recently-turned pro, Seán O’Keeffe from Harveystown, Taghmon, who have all been sidelined.
McDonald was injured in what has been described a freak fall from Westward Ho in the parade ring before a one-mile handicap at Newcastle on Monday.
Ironically, he had just completed a double at the meeting which had brought up his one hundred winners for this calendar year, his second successive time to reach this milestone.
He suffered a small fracture in one heel and a stress fracture on his other ankle.
It will mean McDonald will miss the plum ride on Laurens at the Irish Champions meeting next weekend and a couple of other high-profile mounts.
In the past year he has won his first Group1s and his first classic in the French Prix Diane aboard the Karl Burke trained filly.
McDonald told ‘The Racing Post’ on Tuesday: ‘I’m not entirely sure what happened - the horse went down first then reared up and I fell quite heavily…it’s a fair combination of injuries.
‘It just goes to show the ups and downs of this game. I rode a double at Newcastle last night, got my 100th winner of the year and an hour later I’m on a stretcher in hospital. It’s one of those things and you have to take the rough with the smooth.’
For the record, McDonald’s Newcastle double was with Rare Groove (8/1) and the one hundred came up on Hard Taskmaster (8/11) for Jim Tate
Seán Flanagan was injured at Tramore on August 19 and is nursing a broken leg which will keep him out for all of September at least. Slevin has been out since August 4 with an injured shoulder and is expected back at Listowel this week, and O’Keeffe damaged a collar bone.
During the week Aidan O’Brien had doubles at Naas on Tuesday with Isle of Innishfree (12/1), beating stablemate All the Kings men (1/1) by a head, and Saracen Knight (4/1); at Gowran on Wednesday with Western Australia (14/1) which beat stable mate South Pacific (5/6f), and Prepare for Battle (4/9), and at Navan on Saturday with Seamie Heffernan, Battle of Jericho (15/8) and North Face (10/3).
Jamie Codd had a visit to the beach at Laytown on Thursday for their unique meeting and was second to Lisa O’Neill in both qualified riders’ races, with Pat Mullins behind him both times.
Listowel will be the main focus this week, and the Champions Meetings at Leopardstown and the Curragh next weekend are one of the highlights of the year.