Young jockey Jack Kennedy has suffered another huge injury setback after breaking his leg in a fall at Leopardstown yesterday.
Gigginstown's first choice rider was aboard Dallas Des Pictons in the Gaelic Plant Hire Leopardstown Handicap Chase when he fell at the first fence in what straight away looked like a pretty nasty fall.
The IHRB's Senior Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Pugh tweeted this out yesterday:
"Unfortunately, Jack's injury from @LeopardstownRC today has been confirmed as a fracture of his right femur. He is expected to undergo surgery tomorrow."
The fall came just half an hour after Kennedy had ridden Delta Work to victory in the Irish Gold Cup, a remarkable change of fortunes for a jockey highly touted to be one of the best on the circuit at the moment.
With him poised to ride the first string of Gigginstown House Stud's Cheltenham festival runners including Delta Work who has now been entered as the new 4/1 favourite for the Cheltenham festival, he will unfortunately miss out.
(Credit At The Races) An update from Dr Jennifer Pugh on the official IHRB Twitter feed on Monday evening read: “Jack has had surgery on his leg this morning and thankfully that went well. Unfortunately at this stage the timing will mean Jack will miss Cheltenham.
“Hopefully he should get home from hospital tomorrow.”
His aim will be to be back in time for the Grand National meeting at Aintree and if failing that the Punchestown festival before the end of the jumps season.