Doyle Sidelined With Fractured Elbow

Hollie Doyle is expecting to spend the remainder of January on the sidelines after fracturing her elbow and rupturing ligaments during a crashing fall on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Monday night.

The six-time group 1-winning rider was thrown to the ground when her mount, The Perfect Crown, trained by Archie Watson, came down with two furlongs to run and was fatally injured in the seven-furlong claimer.

She missed four rides, two of which were winners, at Kempton on Tuesday and had been booked to ride later this week at Kempton on Thursday, Newcastle on Friday, and Wolverhampton on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, I've fractured my elbow and ruptured the ligaments around it." said Doyle. "It could have been worse as it was a freak fall but hopefully I'll be back in few weeks."

At Wolverhampton, Doyle managed to walk to the ambulance and from there into the weighing room clutching her lower arm but missed her remaining two mounts.

She visited Swindon Hospital on her way home and had some x-rays taken of her elbow, which were later assessed by BHA chief medical adviser Jerry Hill. She saw a BHA appointed specialist on Tuesday and has since been to Oaksey House in Lambourn for physiotherapy.

On the circumstances of her fall, Doyle said: "I went over the horse's head when he broke both front legs, which was a freak accident."

Doyle recorded her second-best domestic return of 151 winners last year and finished second in the jockeys' championship behind William Buick. Her biggest success came aboard Nashwa  in the Prix de Diane (G1), known as the French Oaks, at Chantilly in June.

She returned from a successful stint in Japan in December and her most recent winner came on Girlswannahavefun at Chelmsford on Saturday, which took her tally for this year to nine winners.