Dane O'Neill facing surgery after suffering fractures in Wolverhampton fall

12 July 2023 , 13:54

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Dane O'Neill fractured vertebra and ribs (Image: PA)

Senior jockey Dane O’Neill is set to undergo surgery after fracturing vertebra and ribs in a nasty incident at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old was unseated when his mount clipped the heels of another horse shortly after leaving the stalls and fell. The race had to be stopped so that O’Neill, who was lying in the home straight, could receive medical attention on the track before the field came around again.

He was stretchered to an ambulance and taken to hospital in Birmingham. The race was declared void. O’Neill was due to ride Run To Freedom in the Group 1 July Cup on Saturday but is set to face several weeks on the sidelines.

In an update on social media, the jockey’s wife Laura wrote:: “Following his fall at Wolverhampton, Dane was treated on the track before being transported by the racecourse ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

“He had a prompt assessment including scans where a fractured thoracic vertebra and some fractured ribs were discovered. Dane is likely to have surgery in the next few days and the expectation is he will make a full recovery after a period of rehabilitation.”

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The post added: “Dane and his wife Laura would like to thank the medical staff for their care and are grateful for all the best wishes received from his friends and colleagues in racing.”

Horse rare taken off the track after the race was stopped due to Dane O'Neill's fall (Sky Sports)

O’Neill is retained by Shadwell Stud as second jockey to Jim Crowley and racing manager Angus Gold said his absence will be keenly felt.

“From our point of view, you hate to see that happen to anybody, but from a Shadwell perspective, he is a huge part of our operation,” he said. We are certainly going to notice his absence very strongly, but all that matters is that he gets better. We just wish him the speediest of recoveries and hope they operate soon, and get him back on track.”

O’Neill has ridden over 1,800 winners in Britain and 23 so far in 2023. He landed two Group 1 races in Dubai this year, including the Al Quoz Sprint on Danyah on Dubai World Cup night.

Jon Lees