'It's been an emotional rollercoaster' - Page Fuller delighted to have first ride since suffering mid-race stroke

Page Fuller insists it will be “just another day at the office” when she returns to the saddle on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a frightening mini-stroke during a race.

Fuller, 27, will make her comeback aboard Lady Pacifico in the 2m5½f handicap hurdle (3.35) at Hereford after spending more than four months on the sidelines.

“I had hoped to be back a little sooner but I’m ready to go now. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster and I’m just delighted to get going again,” she said.

“I’m not sure whether my family and friends will be there to see me – it’s been harder for them than me – and I will regard it as just another day at the office.”

It was on September 30 last year that the jockey’s promising career had to be put on hold after she suffered the stroke during a race at Fontwell.

Fuller lost the vision in her right eye and had spasms in her right arm as she rode Touchthesoul in a 2m2f handicap chase. She managed to negotiate the first fence despite her limited vision before pulling up her mount.

“It happened at a weekend and there were no doctors available so I didn’t know how bad it was. At first you think, ‘I’m not going to be able to ride again’,” Fuller said.

“But in the first week after it happened my consultant was very relaxed about it all and that gave me hope that everything would be all right.

“Whether the stroke was caused by an earlier fall or a culmination of whiplash injuries we don’t know.”

Page Fuller: "At first you think, ‘I’m not going to be able to ride again’"Credit: Edward Whitaker

The trauma from a whiplash injury can cause a tear to the artery in the neck which in turn creates a clot that can cause a stroke.

“It’s unusual for this to happen and there are varying degrees of severity but fortunately in my case it was non-severe,” Fuller added.

She praised Oaksey House, the jockeys’ rehabilitation centre in Lambourn, for its part in her recovery. “They were a big help and I was lucky as I’ve been there a lot – they know me well,” she said.

“Everything is great now – I’ve been riding out since the first week of January. Unlike when you come back from other injuries I won’t have to worry about suffering any pain when I ride in the race.”

Fuller already has 109 British winners on the board and is around £57,000 short of earning £1 million in prize-money. Her biggest success came aboard Anythingforlove, trained by her boss Jamie Snowden, in a Grade 2 event at Sandown.

“The £1m in prize-money would be a nice one to get before the end of the season – that’s certainly something to aim for,” she said. “I was injured for a lot of March and April, so last year was a write-off.

"I feel now I have unfinished business. I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be difficult but I hope to get back on to better horses in time.”

As well as Snowden, Fuller can also count on support from Lady Pacifico’s trainer David Weston. “Dave said straight away he would give me rides as soon as I was ready,” she said.

“Lady Pacifico had some decent form last season and though her form has tailed off a little, I do have faith in her. She has more of a chance than her odds might suggest.”

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