APPRENTICE jockey Zoe Lloyd will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair her collarbone, which was broken in two places after a bad race fall at Stawell on Saturday.
The Nyah West jockey, now based at Horsham with trainer Paul Preusker, was riding 150/1 shot Fortunate Fred in the third of the day when the horse, which seemed to be tiring, may have clipped the heels of another horse, pitching Lloyd over its head.
The 24-year-old launched her professional career with a winning first ride on Peddler for Nathan Hobson at Swan Hill on October 11, which happened to also be her mother’s birthday.
She will now miss between eight and 12 weeks with this injury.
Lloyd said surgeons may end up pinning her collarbone because of the double break but she hadn’t yet seen the X-ray of the injury herself.
“My arm is in a sling to try and make my shoulder more comfortable, but I guess I will know more after Wednesday,” she said.
“I don’t remember much of the fall, I just remember going over the horse’s head.
“Looking at the replay of the race, it is still not clear exactly what happened, although the horse had been tiring as we came out of the back straight.”
Lloyd said she had ridden the 150/1 longshot many times before and was also familiar with the Stawell track, where she has raced and also taken part in many jump-outs.
Fortunate Fred’s long odds were understandable – the horse had just one third placing from its 31 starts.
After Lloyd’s fall, the Stawell races were slightly delayed while jockeys inspected the area where she fell in case it was an issue with the track which may have caused the fall.
The injury and recovery time may also extend her apprenticeship to compensate for time lost.
Lloyd said she has had a couple of injuries during her time as a trackworker.
Injuries must run in the family – younger sister Madison has also had falls, including breaking her leg earlier this year, although that did not stop her from winning the $300,000 Wangoom at Warrnambool, the biggest win of her career.
