Apprentice Tom Sadler has set New Year’s Day as a target for his return to riding after escaping relatively unscathed from a Moonee Valley fall.
Sadler spent Friday night in hospital with concussion but suffered no other injuries.
The fall came just a week after Sadler made a comeback from a four-month suspension for a cocaine offence.
“I’m very fortunate,” Sadler told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“I would hope to be back by New Year’s Day. That’s my goal.
“The protocol now is a concussion test which shows the scores compared to the base line in the test we take at the start of the season.
“I will be in contact with the doctor in the next couple of days and play it by ear.”
Sadler paid tribute to Lord Esprit who had to be euthanised after the fall.
“I had quite a lot to do with that horse and it’s a real shame for (trainer) Andrew Noblet and the owners,” he said.
“He looked after me in the way he landed. He could have landed on top of me.”
An inquiry into what caused the fall is expected to resume this week.
