Injured jockeys given the all clear
Cambridge jockey Zy Nor Azman is counting his lucky stars.
Nor Azman was home in Cambridge on Tuesday night after escaping serious injury in a nasty race fall.
As the field for the last race at Avondale on Anzac Day galloped out of the home straight on the first round, co-pacemaker Dylan De Lago, ridden by Brendan Hutton, collapsed with what is believed to have been an internal haemorrhage, bumping Le Moussier on his outside and unseating his rider Zy Nor Azman.
As he rolled along the ground, Nor Azman was struck by several following runners and was left unmoving on the track while Le Moussier galloped on riderless and Hutton got to his feet unaided.
The apprentice jockey was knocked unconscious for several minutes but regained consciousness before being taken to hospital.
‘‘He was released from hospital last night and came home,’’ said trainer Ralph Manning, Nor Azman’s employer. ‘‘He had a lucky escape.’’
Hutton was able to walk off the track but complained of headaches upon returning to the jockey’s room and was also taken to hospital to undergo examination for a possible concussion.
He was also released from hospital on Tuesday.
‘‘He’s battered and bruised and he was knocked out so he will have to go through the normal protocols before he rides again,’’ chief stipendiary steward John Oatham said of Nor Azman’s condition.
Hutton will also undergo concussion tests before returning to race riding.
The race was called off with 500m to run for safety reasons, ensuring the remainder of the field did not endanger the fallen riders or horses.
Mathew Williamson, the RIU steward in charge at the meeting and Oatham expressed their satisfaction at the eventual outcome of what had the potential to be a dangerous situation..
Meanwhile, Vinnie Colgan has been handed a five day suspension.
The jockey admitted a charge of careless riding for permitting Fortune Knight to shift inwards when not sufficiently clear of Triaction in the Governor General’s Cup at Avondale on Tuesday.
The eventual winner Jiayuguan, Show The World and Incantesimo were also checked in the incident at the 1300m mark, also hampered were Bee Tee Junior, Gentil Tonton, Just Got Home and High Class.
After hearing submissions the judicial committee imposed a suspension from the conclusion of racing on Saturday, April 29 until the conclusion of racing on Saturday, May 13.
The spate of penalties imposed recently for excessive use of the whip continued with Tayla Wenn fined $300 after her ride on Sonorous in race six.
A deferred hearing from Trentham, had Robbie Hannam facing the same charge at Awapuni on Tuesday.
Hannam admitted a deferred breach for excessive use of the whip for his ride on I’m Horace and was suspended from close of racing on April 30 to the close of racing on May 4.
Hamilton apprentice Ryan Elliot had a 17-day spell on the sidelines for excessive use of the whip reduced to 15 on appeal yesterday. He had been charged at two meetings – Trentham and a few days later at Tauranga.