Racing: Mind on races despite injuries

Mark Sweeney was heading into theatre at Waikato Hospital yesterday afternoon when he yelled out: "Tell the readers not to leave Tadan out at Tauranga tomorrow."

He should have had other things on his mind.

Like:

* The skin graft he was about to have on his shin.

* The three compound fractures he has in a leg after smashing into the running rail at the Cambridge barrier trials on Tuesday.

* When he can eat and drink again.

At 8 pm on Wednesday specialists stopped all food and water in anticipation of performing the skin graft on Sweeney's badly damaged leg early Thursday morning.

With no change to the nil by mouth, Sweeney waited all day Thursday and it was not until 1 pm yesterday that the Te Awamutu jockey was to be taken to theatre.

The Herald had arranged a photo of the badly injured jockey.

But that was not possible once the all-clear had been given for the operation.

Mark Sweeney is probably racing's most popular figure.

He not only has a winner's smile, he can create the same in others and he was in a chipper mood yesterday, which is remarkable given his injuries and the fact that a surgeon had just told him: 'You're not out of the woods yet.'

He had stabilised under morphine and was feeling more comfortable despite admitting to an extremely sore shoulder, which had not yet been x-rayed, but was likely to be looked at in theatre late yesterday.

"I just can't wait to get this [skin graft] done. I feel positive, but I'm anxious to get the skin grafting out of the way."

The waiting has weighed heavily.

"There is a second patch of skin higher on the leg the surgeons are worried about, but have left that meantime in anticipation of the possibility it may not require a skin graft."

Sweeney was to have ridden Tadan in today's $100,000 Westernbay Finance Japan/New Zealand Trophy at Tauranga.

"I rode him in the Easter at Ellerslie and going into the race I gave him a real chance of upsetting. Unfortunately, he didn't handle the slightly off track.

"He can be right in this race tomorrow, but a lot will depend on the track conditions. The better the footing the better he'll run."

One of the horses Sweeney feels Tadan will have to beat is the topweight Kristov.

"He's one of my favourite horses. You've just got to admire a horse that can be as consistent as he's been and one that always gives his best, no matter what.

"And, hey, you've got to respect Calveen."

There has been a remarkable spate of jockeys injuries in the last eight weeks, highlighted of course by the deaths of one New Zealand and two Australian riders.

On Thursday former New Zealand jockey Wayne Hokai was in a serious conditions with a crushed pelvis when a horse he was riding crashed and rolled on him in provincial Victoria.

Also in Victoria, Michelle Payne, not long back from five months off with a head injury, was in trouble again. This time she injured a wrist.

Chairman of stewards in Victoria, Des Gleeson has issued a get-tough policy on jockeys following the deaths of Adrian Ledger and Gavin Lisk and the serious back injury which will sideline leading rider Damien Oliver for at least six months and more likely a year.

Gleeson said late this week a tougher line would be taken with jockeys who allowed their mounts to shift.

To prove his point he suspended Rhys McLeod for 19 meetings and reprimanded Greg Childs, who has not been suspended for five years.

"It's non-negotiable," says Gleeson, "otherwise well come down like a ton of bricks."

McLeod, well know for his riding in New Zealand, caused multiple interference at Sandown on W

Racing: Mind on races despite injuries

By MIKE DILLON

Mark Sweeney was heading into theatre at Waikato Hospital yesterday afternoon when he yelled out: "Tell the readers not to leave Tadan out at Tauranga tomorrow."

He should have had other things on his mind.

Like:

* The skin graft he was about to have on his shin.

* The three compound fractures he has in a leg after smashing into the running rail at the Cambridge barrier trials on Tuesday.

* When he can eat and drink again.

At 8 pm on Wednesday specialists stopped all food and water in anticipation of performing the skin graft on Sweeney's badly damaged leg early Thursday morning.

With no change to the nil by mouth, Sweeney waited all day Thursday and it was not until 1 pm yesterday that the Te Awamutu jockey was to be taken to theatre.

The Herald had arranged a photo of the badly injured jockey.

But that was not possible once the all-clear had been given for the operation.

Mark Sweeney is probably racing's most popular figure.

He not only has a winner's smile, he can create the same in others and he was in a chipper mood yesterday, which is remarkable given his injuries and the fact that a surgeon had just told him: 'You're not out of the woods yet.'

He had stabilised under morphine and was feeling more comfortable despite admitting to an extremely sore shoulder, which had not yet been x-rayed, but was likely to be looked at in theatre late yesterday.

"I just can't wait to get this [skin graft] done. I feel positive, but I'm anxious to get the skin grafting out of the way."

The waiting has weighed heavily.

"There is a second patch of skin higher on the leg the surgeons are worried about, but have left that meantime in anticipation of the possibility it may not require a skin graft."

Sweeney was to have ridden Tadan in today's $100,000 Westernbay Finance Japan/New Zealand Trophy at Tauranga.

"I rode him in the Easter at Ellerslie and going into the race I gave him a real chance of upsetting. Unfortunately, he didn't handle the slightly off track.

"He can be right in this race tomorrow, but a lot will depend on the track conditions. The better the footing the better he'll run."

One of the horses Sweeney feels Tadan will have to beat is the topweight Kristov.

"He's one of my favourite horses. You've just got to admire a horse that can be as consistent as he's been and one that always gives his best, no matter what.

"And, hey, you've got to respect Calveen."

There has been a remarkable spate of jockeys injuries in the last eight weeks, highlighted of course by the deaths of one New Zealand and two Australian riders.

On Thursday former New Zealand jockey Wayne Hokai was in a serious conditions with a crushed pelvis when a horse he was riding crashed and rolled on him in provincial Victoria.

Also in Victoria, Michelle Payne, not long back from five months off with a head injury, was in trouble again. This time she injured a wrist.

Chairman of stewards in Victoria, Des Gleeson has issued a get-tough policy on jockeys following the deaths of Adrian Ledger and Gavin Lisk and the serious back injury which will sideline leading rider Damien Oliver for at least six months and more likely a year.

Gleeson said late this week a tougher line would be taken with jockeys who allowed their mounts to shift.

To prove his point he suspended Rhys McLeod for 19 meetings and reprimanded Greg Childs, who has not been suspended for five years.

"It's non-negotiable," says Gleeson, "otherwise well come down like a ton of bricks."

McLeod, well know for his riding in New Zealand, caused multiple interference at Sandown on Wednesday, an act Gleeson told the inquiry was at the top end of the scale.

"We can't tolerate riding like that."

ednesday, an act Gleeson told the inquiry was at the top end of the scale.

"We can't tolerate riding like that."