Ana O'Brien Sidelined Until November
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Photo: Steven Cargill / Racingfotos.com
Ana O'Brien sustained serious injuries in a July 18 fall at Killarney Racecourse
Ana O'Brien, the daughter of perennial leading Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, could be sidelined until November as a result of injuries she sustained in a fall during the July 18 evening race card at Killarney Racecourse.
According to Racing Post, the 21-year-old—who is Ireland's leading apprentice rider this year with 18 wins—fractured vertebrae in her neck and the T6 in her back, the right facial bone into her eye socket and also fractured both cheek bones. A brain scan conducted Tuesday was clear, according to Turf Club medical officer Dr. Adrian McGoldrick.
"The brain scan is clear, which is very, very good news," McGoldrick said, according to Racing Post. "She has a fractured vertebrae in her neck and T6 in her back. Both of those are (to undergo) MRI scans tomorrow for further assessment. She has also fractured her cheekbones bilaterally. She is very upset and it has been an awful ordeal for her. She is likely to be out of action for three to four months. She's amazing."
MRI scans conducted the day after the fall determined O'Brien would not need surgery to repair her injuries.
"She has had her MRI scans and professor Paul Redmond, the head of department at CUH, has looked at them and confirmed that she does not need surgery," said McGoldrick, according to IrishRacing.com. "They will continue to review her facial injuries."
According to published reports, O'Brien was aboard Druids Cross for her trainer brother Joseph O'Brien in the one-mile race and was encouraging her mount to challenge pacesetter Secret Wizard as the field neared the two-furlong marker.
St Gallen, ridden by Shane Foley, bumped into Druids Cross, who instantly lost his footing and sent O'Brien crashing to the turf, which was officially good and good to firm in places, according to the Post. Druids Cross, a 3-year-old colt, suffered fatal injuries in the incident.
McGoldrick and other members of the medical staff attended to the rider, who was airlifted to Cork University Hospital about 90 minutes after the fall.