Apprentices involved in horrific track work incident

Just last week promising apprentice Nick Keal suffered a fractured collar bone in a fall at Clifford Park that will see him sidelined for several months.

This morning another promising Toowoomba based apprentice Baylee Nothdurft was been involved in a horrific track work incident involving veteran jockey Todd Banks and a female track rider. At the time Nothdurft was riding a two-year-old filly for Michael Nolan – “Confessions”.

Nothdurft has a suspected dislocation and fracture to his right knee and has been transported to the Toowoomba Base Hospital. He was in good spirits and awaiting further medical assessment when i caught up with him briefly.

In the incident Todd Banks was reportedly knocked unconscious for a small period and has suffered facial injuries and a suspected broken arm in the incident.

Nothdurft is apprenticed to Lindsay Hatch and has been in very good form in the saddle recently.

The departure of both promising, leading male apprentices from the Toowoomba area will leave a deficit in the ranks whilst they both recover.