Paul Hanagan Hoping To Return To Action Soon After Breaking His Back

Experienced rider Paul Hanagan is firmly on the road to recovery and is excited about getting back in the saddle as early as possible after not being seen riding since February when breaking his back in a fall at Newcastle.

The two time champion jockey has set no specific date for his return as of yet, just taking each day as it comes but will be looking to return before the end of the term.

The veteran in the sport turns 40 on September and another landmark in his career is the 2000 winners mark which he is mightily close to and he will be looking to tick that off the checklist before he hits 40.

Hanagan is back riding out on a regular basis and believes his rehab from his injury has gone extremely well.

He has been on the sidelines since he fractured his T6 vertebra in a fall from Requinto Dawn, who clipped heels with another horse just a furlong from home in a six-furlong handicap on the all weather at Gosforth Park.

(Credit ATR) The jockey said: “The rehab is going well, and I’ve been riding out nearly every day for three weeks now.

“It couldn’t be going better. I’ve still not got a date for coming back – but it’s not going to be far away, maybe a few weeks.

“I don’t want to put anything down in black and white, because if it didn’t happen I’d be disappointed. I can’t really say a date, but the way it’s going I don’t think it’s going to be far away.”

The 39 year old was finding the healing process very slow until he underwent keyhole surgery and that has seemed to speed the process of his recovery up.

He added: “I couldn’t do much when I broke my back and the weather was good.

“I was in a bit of a cast around me and couldn’t do much at all.“I had the operation keyhole, and it went really well. It just did the job right.

“Since I had the operation, it was like the click of a switch. It was that good.”