Classic-winning jockey George Baker was back at the races at Goodwood on Sunday, the first time he has visited a racecourse since his horror fall in St Moritz.
Among the tallest jockeys in the weighing room, the 34-year-old was put in a coma following a fall from the Jamie Osborne-trained Boomerang Bob on the ice at St Moritz at the end of February.
Although escaping serious injury it was discovered that he had suffered bleeding on the brain.
Now very much into his rehabilitation he was a popular figure on the Sussex Downs this weekend, particularly among his weighing room colleagues, after getting a lift from Lambourn trainer Ed Walker.
He said: “The recovery is going very well, as well as could be expected and I’m getting there making plenty of progress.
“I’m a little bit wobbly on my feet still but I’m making progress so it’s great.
“These things happen and you have to deal with them when they come along. As it stands at the moment I’m not allowed to drive for a year so I won’t be able to do anything for that period of time.
“Obviously it’s something I’d like to do [race ride] but I just don’t know what’s medically possible at the moment, I haven’t really found out about it yet.”
The recovery is going very well
Baker enjoyed his finest year in the saddle in 2016, becoming a Classic winner for the first time when partnering Laura Mongan’s Harbour Law to success in the St Leger.
In October, he notched a third Group 1 win of his career when coming with a brilliantly-timed ride aboard Quest For More in the Qatar Prix du Cadran on Arc day.
A winner no fewer than 1,364 times, Baker plans to make an appearance on one of the days next week at Royal Ascot.
