Two more jockeys have joined the Victorian riders injury list after an horrific day at Bendigo yesterday which saw six horses fail to finish.
Jockeys Jake Bayliss and Billy Eagan both sustained injuries that will see them sidelined and Jake Noonan was stood down from his pending mounts while Braidon Small, Robert Molloy and Gavin Bedggood escaped serious injuries.
Bayliss has suffered a broken arm and will be out for six weeks while Egan will be out for a month with internal injuries joining popular apprentice Katelyn Mallyon on the sidelines.
Bayliss and Noonan both fell in the same incident at the 400m mark in the Santons Of Bendigo Handicap (1100m) when Lucky Thunder and Sate Of Elation came down while Eagan was dislodged from Rich Faith in the early stages of the 1600m Silver Bowl Searies Heat 4.
Mallyon was speared into the turf at Flemington on May 19 when Deliver The Dream crashed at the 150m and was lucky not to have broken her neck but will be out of action for several months with multiple fractures in her back.
The young apprentice is desperately hanging onto the apprentices’ premiership lead and with six weeks of the season remaining is on twenty-three wins, eight wins ahead of her nearest rival, Noonan.
Even with a bit of luck and Mallyon becomes the first female to achieve the title, she still has to convince her mother Mary that she will return to race riding after sustaining such terrible injuries.
“For the first three days I didn’t recognise her. It was just devastating, the worst thing that’s ever happened to us,” Mary said.
But Mallyon is determined to continue her career in the saddle and has planned a comeback in December.
“No way, I’ve still got too much to offer,” Mallyon said.
Mallyon is the third female jockey to suffer spinal injuries in the last few months in Victoria with Louise Cooper looking unlikely to walk again after a fall at Edenhope in March and Michelle Payne will be out of the saddle for up to six weeks after a fall at Donald in May resulting in five fractured vertebrae and several broken ribs.
Queensland jockey Kristy Banks also suffered severe spinal injuries in a fall at Toowoomba on December 31 last year and is restricted to a wheel chair.
