Jason Maguire, riding Peddlers Cross, wins at the Cheltenham Festival

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker  

Jason Maguire sidelined by broken ankle

JASON MAGUIRE faces a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a broken left ankle and fractured shin bone at Worcester on Wednesday evening.

The top jumps jockey, who notched up over 100 wins last season and finished third in the jockeys' championship, was riding Morning Sunshine for trainer Donald McCain when he fell at the final fence, sustaining injuries to his left leg.

He was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital and subsequently transferred to Royal Gloucester Hospital on Thursday morning, where he is due to be operated on.

Jason Maguire: being operated on at Royal GloucesterHospital

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker  

Speaking to racingpost.com on Thursday morning, McCain said: "Jason has broken his ankle. He transferred to Gloucester this morning.

"Once he has spoken to the specialist, either before or after his operation, we should have an idea how long he will be out for."

Morning Sunshine was unharmed in the incident, McCain confirmed.

Kim Bailey, for whom Maguire regularly rides, wrote on his blog: "Disaster struck last night at Worcester when Jason Maguire and Morning Sunshine, trained by his retained trainer Donald McCain, parted company at the last.

"It looked a soft fall but as is often the way they are the worst and poor Jason has ended up with a broken left ankle and shin bone.

"Hugely painful, Jason is being operated on this morning in Gloucester Royal Hospital and faces a lengthy recovery."

Maguire has won 22 races so far this season and is third in the jockeys' championship. He recorded the biggest success of his career at this year's Cheltenham Festival, when he rode Peddlers Cross to victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.