Following the results of his MRI, jockey Ryan Maloney, who is not riding this week following his fall from Isotope in the Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas last Saturday, has been cleared to ride from next week subject to passing a concussion test.
“I got the clearance this morning … so I’ve just got to do the concussion test and I’ll be back next week,” confirmed Maloney.
The fall, which involved a coming together of the two heavily fancied Magic Millions Guineas contenders as the field straightened for home … Isotope (the $2.15 favourite) clipped the heels of Away Game (the $4.60 second favourite) … happened in the split second without any warning.
As Isotope knuckled Maloney was unseated, going down and landing hard alongside the filly … and rolling, thankfully clear of the hooves of the runners who were behind him. Isotope did not fall and galloped on riderless with the rest of the field.
When Maloney got quickly to his feet, the initial impression was that all was well, but, while Maloney did not suffer any serious damage, any fall has its consequences, and it has taken Maloney a full week of recovery before gaining his clearance.
“I came away with a bit of a black eye and I was a bit dazed for a couple of hours after the fall and then I felt fine after that,” explained Maloney.
“I basically had suffered whiplash though and by Tuesday and Wednesday, I was feeling the full effects of it. I couldn’t really turn my head at all.
“I’ve had a few massages and its nearly one hundred percent now.
“It was a pretty freakish incident really … very unlucky.”
With Isotope taken out of the contest, Away Game battled on after the incident, eventually setting for third place behind the two $31 outsiders Aim and Amish Boy who finished first and second respectively.
Would the result have been different had the two main fancies not made contact?
That falls into the ‘questions never to be answered’ category!
