Emma Sayer contemplating next move after Cartmel neck injury

Jockey Emma Sayer could cut short her career in the saddle after suffering a neck injury in a nasty unseat at Cartmel on Friday.

Although the amateur rider avoided serious injury when her mount The Phantom stumbled in the 2m1f novice handicap hurdle, it is uncertain whether she will return to race-riding following her recovery.

Sayer's mother Dianne, who trains The Phantom, said on Saturday morning: "She was taken by ambulance to hospital in Preston and the news is probably as good as it could be. Five years ago she fractured two vertebrae in her neck in France but the specialists are hopeful she has just re-fractured the spinous process, which is a non-entity of a bone anyway. We're not sure how long she'll be out for, but hopefully she'll be coming home today.

"She said the horse lost his footing on a patch of false ground and disappeared from under her. The track has done its best and these things can happen, particularly with the weather we're encounting."

Sayer, who has won 31 races over jumps and 24 on the Flat, scooped a £20,000 Jockey Club Racecourses development award in August 2016, but shortly after became a PE teacher and returned to the amateur ranks.

Emma Sayer receives her cheque as winner of the JCR development award for female ridersCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"She's leaving her teaching job to come back into racing but on the training side, riding a bit as an amateur," added the Penrith trainer. "That was the plan anyway but she might just think 'that's it' for riding. She's coming back to assist me initially and then hopefully she will go on and get some more experience and move through the various stages."

In the following race at Cartmel, an amateur riders' contest at the end of the meeting, a piece of rail was put up to force jockeys around the patch of ground where Sayer came to grief.

However Polly Steele, who was having her first ride under rules, crashed through it on Think Ahead, who was pulled up and later disqualified by the stewards for taking the wrong course.

Clerk of the course Anthea Morshead said on Saturday: "We pushed the amateur riders off the rail with some rail spurs and they were briefed before the race, but unfortunately Polly lost her irons shortly before and completely forgot what she was told. Thankfully the jockey and horse were absolutely fine."

Cartmel race again on Sunday and, regarding the state of the surface, Morshead said: "The ground on the wood-side bend under the trees has a history of breaking up. We hadn't watered that part that morning and it doesn't react and get the same sunlight as the rest of the track.

"We were always moving both bends out four yards to provide fresh ground anyway for tomorrow when the going will be good to firm, good in places."

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