Cook out of hospital after kick in the face from horse

DANNY COOK is waiting to discover the extent of the facial injuries that he suffered in a weekend fall at Market Rasen.

The Yorkshire- based jump jockey has now been released by Hull Royal Infirmary where he was treated for wounds to his head. He is due to return later this week, once the swelling has subsided, for further assessment to his eye socket.

Cook, one of the North’s most consistent riders, had been looking forward to riding Sue Smith’s stable star Midnight Shadow, a dual Grade Two winner at Cheltenham, in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree this Sunday. He is also due to ride Brian Ellison’s Definitly Red in Wetherby’s prestigious Charlie Hall Chase on October 31 after triumphing in the race two years ago.

Cook was riding the Smithtrained Ravenhill Road who appeared to crumple on landing at the tricky penultimate fence – a downhill obstacle – while still in with a chance of finishing in the first three.

A pursuing horse came down moments afterwards and appeared to kick the stricken rider in the face.

“He’s pretty well battered – but was in reasonable spirits when I spoke to him,” Smith told The Yorkshire Post.

“He has quite a lot of stitches in his face and he goes back later this week for further assessment, and possibly a minor fracture to his eye socket. At the end of the day, it was one of those things. It was just an unfortunate incident – you can’t blame man or horse.” ■ Aidan O’Brien is responsible for seven of the 18 horses entered in Doncaster’s Vertem Futurity Trophy this Saturday, the final Group One of the 2020 season.

Last year’s renewal, staged at Newcastle due to waterlogging, was won by Kameko and Oisin Murphy who went on to land this year’s 2000 Guineas.