Sherman Brown injures rotator cuff

Jockey Sherman Brown is hoping to be back in the saddle as early as this week, although with an injury to his right shoulder rotator cuff, those hopes seem unlikely to materialise.

Brown injured his shoulder at Scottsville last Sunday when riding first-timer Royal Applause in Race 5.

“The horse pulled his head down and I thought it was a sprain or a strain. So I took a Voltaren shot, which released it a bit, and rode Willowgrange in the last race that day. After that I had major pain,” he admitted.

He continued: “I had to ride Willowgrange – there was nobody else available to take the ride and she’d have to be scratched. I couldn’t do that to Karen Anthony. I always try my best.”

Brown still fulfilled his three engagements at Turffontein last Tuesday, finishing third on Dancing Rebel and fourth on The Tin Man.

However, by Thursday’s meeting at the city course the injury had got too severe.

“I just don’t have any range of movement in my right arm now,” he said. “Can’t even lift it to my waist. I went for a sonar on Thursday, which showed no tears and I’ll be having an MRI on Monday (today).

“But I’m hoping I’m ‘miraculously healed’,” he quipped, admitting he would still have the MRI.

Brown was carded to ride four horses at Turffontein on Saturday and another four at Scottsville on Sunday.

* The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint.