Two jockeys suffer suspected spinal injuries at Kempton

Champion Flat jockey Jim Crowley and fellow rider Frederik Tylicki remained in hospital on Monday night after being injured in a serious incident at Kempton that ultimately saw the meeting abandoned.

The accident occurred as the field rounded the home turn in the Breeders Backing Racing EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, the third race on the card.

Nellie Deen was tracking the pacesetting Madame Butterfly in the hands of Tylicki when the pair suffered a heavy fall.

Crowley and Electrify were racing immediately behind and were brought down, as was Steve Drowne’s mount Skara Mae.

Ted Durcan was also caught up in the melee and was unseated from Sovrano Dolce.

Both Drowne and Durcan returned to the weighing room, albeit walking gingerly, but Tylicki and Crowley were attended to on the track for some time before being taken to the major trauma unit at St George’s Hospital in Tooting.

A spokesman for the hospital could offer no update on the condition of either rider this evening, but Kempton clerk of the course Barney Clifford had earlier said both riders had suffered suspected spinal injuries.

He told Racing UK: “Both jockeys have gone to St George’s in Tooting for further investigation.

"Freddy Tylicki was airlifted and Jim Crowley has gone by road ambulance.

“They both are on spinal boards. They both give their consent to me and the doctor to update their next of kin, family members etc.

“I can’t say any more than that at this stage.”

With racing having already been delayed for over an hour, the decision was made to abandon the remaining four races.

“We gave racing every chance. Having discussed it with jockeys and the stewards, the unanimous decision as a mark of respect for the two lads that have been injured, Jim and Freddy, was that we abandoned racing,” said Clifford.

"I touched base with Steve Drowne on the way down to the incident and he was fine.

“Ted was quite shook (up) and a little bit lame.

“I believe the doctors did touch base with both of them and I believe they were OK.

“The reality is, Flat or National Hunt racing, it’s a dangerous sport.

“You don’t expect those things to happen on the Flat. I just hope and pray that Freddy and Jim are OK.”

Crowley has enjoyed a career-defining year in 2016 with the 38-year-old being crowned champion for the first time at Ascot only last month.

A one-time jump jockey, Crowley was a 66-1 outsider for the riders’ title at the start of the year but enjoyed a stellar second half of the campaign including 46 winners in September, a figure which surpassed the previous record of 45 wins shared by legendary names of the Turf, Fred Archer and Sir Gordon Richards.

Crowley was duly named the leading rider of the campaign at Ascot on Champions Day.

While Tylicki was not hitting quite those heights, 2016 provided two red-letter days for him as he notched his maiden Group One win on Speedy Boarding at Deauville in August before following up on that filly in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc weekend at Chantilly.

The 30-year-old was also named champion apprentice back in 2009 and counts the John Smith’s Cup among his other previous big-race victories.

Frankie Dettori, who is riding in Australia in the early hours of Tuesday, was among those to send his thoughts to Crowley and Tylicki via social media.

He tweeted: “Sending my best wishes and speedy recovery to Freddy and Jim.”

Leading jumps trainer Nicky Henderson added: “Thoughts very much with Jim Crowley and Freddy Tylicki after Kempton falls. This further highlights the risks jockeys take every day.”