Jamie Spencer has successfully undergone surgery after suffering a broken hip in a fall on the Newmarket gallops last Friday.
Spencer sustained the injury when riding out for trainer David Simcock when his mount was spooked while walking back from Warren Hill and landed on a concrete pathway.
Taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, Spencer came through surgery and is now recovering at home.
Speaking to the Racing Post, he said: “If I needed any inspiration to put my best into my rehabilitation then all I need to do is look at some of the horses I can look forward to riding for David Simcock and further afield.
“I’m out of hospital and beginning the road to recovery. I’m not the first person to suffer a fall like this and won’t be the last. Injuries are luckily rare for Flat jockeys, but they are often serious.
“It’s just one of those things but it’s a new week. I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, well-wishers and most of all the staff at the hospital who were nothing short of amazing.”
Racing Victoria to explore international presence at Spring Carnival
Every avenue will be explored by Racing Victoria for the Spring Carnival in order to accommodate international runners this year.
However, the participation of foreign horses will depend on Australia’s federal and state governments coronavirus restrictions in late July and August.
Currently it is impossible for horses to travel to Australia and Racing Victoria’s General Manager of International and Racing Operations, Paul Bloodworth, has highlighted those restrictions would have to be loosened for horses to arrive in time.
Speaking to Racing.com, he said: “At this stage we are still hopeful of international participation in the Victorian Spring Carnival.
“As it stands, our main issue is the border restrictions that are currently in place. So, we would need the government to review those, loosen those to enable us to get international horses here.
“We could potentially work with shipper IRT to find a solution to get the horses here with their flying grooms travelling with the horses. Then the issue would become that we can’t actually get the staff of the international trainers into Australia to then look after the horses at Werribee and then, of course, the trainers themselves.
“The one thing we do have in our favour to an extent is time. Our first shipment of horses would not normally arrive until Grand Final Day [the last Saturday in September] and we could potentially have an opportunity to push that back if required.”
Rekindling back in training
Rekindling, who gave trainer Joseph O’Brien a headline success in the 2017 Melbourne Cup, is back in training.
The son of High Chaparral had been retired to stud by part-owner Lloyd Williams last year but has since returned to the care of O’Brien. Rekindling’s last start saw him finish last in the Group 1 Australian Cup in March 2019.
Speaking to the Racing Post, O’Brien said: “It’s great having him back in the yard. He had a couple of setbacks in Australia but he’s back home and training well. We’re looking forward to the year ahead with him.
“He’s still a young horse and when he won the Melbourne Cup, he was only a three-year-old.
“We thought that there might be a bit of fun to be had with him and hopefully he can have a good season back in his old regime and facilities.”
