Baker in intensive care as Geraghty sits out Festival

Flat jockey George Baker was in intensive care in a Swiss hospital last night and jumps counterpart Barry Geraghty was ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival after the pair suffered heavy falls.

Baker (above) was involved in a three-horse pile-up, with his Jamie Osborne-trained mount Boomerang Bob fatally injured when brought down on St Moritz’s frozen lake.

the 34-year-old had woken from an induced coma last night and agent Guy Jewell said: ‘With the hospital releasing that news, I can only imagine they’re pleased with his progress. He’d already had a Ct scan and that came back clear.’

Baker had been taken to hospital by helicopter from the course.

Meanwhile Geraghty, first jockey to champion owner JP McManus, will miss National Hunt’s top meeting in 16 days’ time after he fell heavily from Charli Parcs at Kempton and was kicked by a following runner. the Irish rider revealed last night he had six broken ribs and a punctured lung, adding that he is ‘devastated’ to miss a meeting where his rides included Harry Fry’s Unowhatimeanharry, favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle, and alan King’s Yanworth, second favourite for the Champion Hurdle.

Mark Walsh, aidan Coleman and Noel Fehily top the list of jockeys who are likely to fill in for Geraghty at Prestbury Park.

For Baker, recovery is now the priority after doctors scaled back medication that was sedating him.

the St Moritz meeting was abandoned following Baker’s fall when a hole was found in the track.

Organisers said later that a crack had been found in the ice which allowed ‘water to come up and undermine the racetrack’.