Racing: Broken neck discovered after racefall

In life you can be lucky without even knowing you're lucky.

When Peter Johnson was examined at Ascot Hospital after the fall which broke an arm in two places at Ellerslie on Saturday, specialists believed he had a broken neck.

X-rays strongly suggested the broken neck.

When the medical team could get no pain from prodding and pushing they sent Johnson for a cat scan.

Have you ever had a broken neck, they asked. No, said Johnson.

The cat scan proved otherwise. Johnson had cracked a vertebrae in his neck in one of his many race falls through his highly successful career and had not been aware of it.

Johnson has pins in the arm he broke on Saturday from a previous race fall and will undergo an operation to have that repinned today.

"He's badly bruised," said wife Annabelle. "He's been stood on a lot during the fall and he's got stitches in a leg.

"I haven't seen the video of the fall and I don't want to."

Stipendiary stewards ruled that Johnson's mount Dead Rabbits clipped heels in a tight spot as the field approached the home turn in the first race.

Annabelle Johnson said whether her husband returns to race riding had not been discussed.