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Bradley faces abuse for ride despite missing race with broken wrist

Paddy Bradley: rider declared for opener at Newbury on Thursday
Paddy Bradley: rider declared for opener at Newbury on ThursdayCredit: Mark Cranham

One misguided punter got it wrong twice on Thursday when abusing Paddy Bradley through social media for his ride on unplaced favourite Quatrieme Ami at Ripon, even though the apprentice was miles away in a cast having broken his wrist two days earlier.

Bradley, who steered Forceful Appeal to victory in the £50,000 apprentice handicap at Lingfield on Good Friday, was injured when unseated from a juvenile trained by boss Pat Phelan in Epsom.

The 22-year-old, who said he suffered ten separate breaks in his wrist and described it as "really mangled", expects to be out for around six to eight weeks. He will learn more on Thursday, when his wrist is due to be x-rayed and the cast taken off.

In the meantime, he hopes to avoid Twitter trolls.

"I got injured at about noon on Tuesday, so I was already declared to ride Wednesday and Thursday, including one for Charlie McBride at Ripon," said Bradley, who won the Apprentices' Derby at Epsom on Leah Freya in 2015.

"My name was in the Racing Post next to the horse at Ripon, but in the morning the jockey change came through that Ben Robinson would be riding it.

"And then I got an abusive message from a punter for the ride I'd given the horse [who finished fifth], even though I'd broken my wrist on Tuesday.

Paddy Bradley lands the apprentices' championship handicap at Lingfield on Forceful Appeal
Paddy Bradley lands the apprentices' championship handicap at Lingfield on Forceful AppealCredit: Mark Cranham

"If he'd actually been paying attention he'd have seen there was a jockey change, but he didn't even know what he was putting his money on."

Ruing his treatment, he added: "Every day you get them – even if you win. If you've won and they've backed something else they'll message you for winning and costing them money; it's crazy.

"I don't open them most of the time as you see a name you don't know and the first word is a swear word, but with this one I thought, 'What could he be moaning at me for? I didn't even ride it'."

Bradley is regretting the timing of the injury, adding: "Winter was tough and coming into the Flat season I'd had a few winners and that one at Lingfield was the biggest.

"I was hoping that was going to kickstart my year, and I had a few rides coming up – eight or nine booked – so for this to happen, I'm gutted. It couldn't have happened at a worse time.

"If it had happened in November or December I'd be all right about it. That's racing though; it gives with one hand and takes with the other, and you've just got to take the rough with the smooth."

James BurnLambourn correspondent

Published on 23 April 2017inNews

Last updated 16:46, 23 April 2017

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