Champion rider Anthony Delpech likely to be out for at least six to eight months

South African champion Anthony Delpech is expected to be out for a "minimum of six to eight months" after suffering damage to his spinal cord in a fall in the SA Classic at Turffontein early last month.

His wife Candice told the Sporting Post: “He is now mobile, can feed himself and dress himself and is improving every day. At this stage we are unsure what the extent of the neurological damage is but we will re-evaluate his situation with the doctors in six months’ time. At the moment they are unsure how long he will be off but we expect it to be a minimum of six to eight months.”

Anthony Delpech damages spinal cord in SA Classic fall

Delpech, 49, underwent surgery in a Johannesburg hospital three days after the fall and the operation involved the removal of herniated disc material and inserting a bone graft into the disc space. This was followed by a cervical fusion which entailed screwing the upper and lower vertebrae to a metal plate in order to stabilise the joint.

Delpech was kept in hospital for 11 days before being allowed to return to his Durban home. The fall and subsequent surgery have affected his hands but he is working on his rehabilitation every day and appears to be making steady progress.

Three times champion in South Africa, the Seychelles-born rider took part in the Shergar Cup at Ascot last year and won the Classic on the John Best-trained Glenys The Menace.

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