New Plymouth jockey Paul Taylor could be sidelined up to three months from injuries suffered in a racefall at Avondale on Wednesday.
The Tamperer, ridden by Trudy Collett, clipped heels and fell on the point of the home turn in race four.
Colour Code (Taylor), Flowermound (Michelle Hutchinson) and Kellanda Fame (Jim Collett) were brought down in turn and horses and riders were sprawled over the track near the 400m mark.
Jim Collett and Hutchinson escaped injury but Taylor and Trudy Collett were not so lucky. They were both concussed and sent to Auckland hospital for observation and further examination.
It was found Taylor had broken his left wrist in the crash and also sustained extensive grazes and bruising to his face and body.
"I'm pretty sore and my face is swollen so I look a bit like Quasimodo's brother at the moment," Taylor said from his New Plymouth home yesterday.
"I remember the horse in front falling across the track in front of me and then cannoning into it," he said. "That's all.
"I was unconscious for about 15 minutes and the first thing I heard was Donna Logan (trainer of Colour Code) in the ambulance with me asking if I wanted her to ring Alexis (his partner) to tell her what had happened."
Taylor's broken wrist is the same one he broke in a racefall at Rotorua two years ago, a crash that sidelined him for three months.
The extent of the damage will not be known until it is examined by an orthopaedic surgeon today.
Taylor missed the early part of this New Zealand season while riding in Malaysia.
He has still however managed to kick home 29 winners including the Counties Cup on The Mighty Finn at Pukekohe last October and the group one Thorndon Mile (1600m) on Pace Invader at Trentham in January.
Meanwhile, Taylor said Trudy Collett was also discharged from hospital on Wednesday night and apart from being concussed escaped with minor grazing.
- NZPA
Racing: Wrist broken in racefall
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