Buick facing crucial date with specialist after Permian fall

William Buick is hoping to be told he will be out for weeks rather than months when he sees a specialist on Friday for the latest assessment of the neck injury he sustained in a fall from the ill-fated Permian in Chicago last weekend.

Charlie Appleby's number-one rider was thrown over Permian's head while pulling up Mark Johnston's runner in the closing stages of the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park.

Buick was taken to hospital and was found to have fractured a T12 vertebra in his upper back but required no surgery and was allowed to fly home the following day.

Since his return, Buick has been wearing a brace but is able to drive and has already been to Appleby's Newmarket base at Moulton Paddocks.

Appleby said: "William is to see a specialist on Friday, which will tell us whether he'll be out for a week, two weeks or longer than that. He seems fine in himself and comfortable walking around so hopefully he'll be back soon."

Appleby has been able to turn to James Doyle to fill in for Buick since his fall and Doyle is booked for high-profile mounts from the Godolphin stable at Deauville this weekend and York next week.

The trainer added: "For now James is the number-one jockey rather than number two and we are privileged to have him around.

"He's been coming in and riding work through the summer and hopefully will be around a while yet. I don't know what his arrangements are regarding returning to Australia just yet but he'll be riding for us at Deauville at the weekend where we run Sobetsu in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette and Endless Time in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay. Beyond that, we have a few in at York including Kidmenever in the Ebor and Sound And Silence in the Roses Stakes."