Promising apprentice jockey Matthew Chadwick faces another setback with his second concussion in just six weeks, leaving him sidelined once again. Chadwick, aged 24, was on the verge of returning to racing after a late-November incident near the Kyneton barriers when a recent incident derailed his progress.
Explaining the latest incident, Chadwick said, “At trackwork, I was about to canter off on one, I was over its head and it flicked its head back up and gave me a black eye, and then the headaches started coming back. Unfortunately, in a sense, I am back to square one now, and I have to start again.”
Racing Victoria’s concussion protocols require a mandatory 12-day stand-down for all riders, followed by further tests and scans.
Chadwick, previously affected by concussion from football, expressed his frustration, particularly as the summer season offers more opportunities for apprentice riders. Despite his unconventional path to becoming a jockey, Chadwick showed promise with 32 wins and apprenticeship with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. His recent progress was curtailed by these setbacks, but he remains determined to return stronger.
