Dowling dismisses retirement talk after latest injury setback

Conditional jockey Tommy Dowling insists he is not ready to quit riding despite suffering his second serious injury in less than a year at Newbury on Friday.

Dowling, based in Lambourn with Charlie Mann, broke bones in his back and ribs after the Jose Santos-trained Bold Runner suffered a heart attack when preparing to jump the third in Newbury's 3m handicap hurdle.

The rider, who was sidelined for more than four months last year after being injured at Fontwell, said on Monday: "I got out of hospital last night and feeling a lot better for it. I'm glad to be out and about and I'm able to walk about, which is one good thing, so I'll just go down to Oaksey House as much as I can.

"I've fractured my T6 vertebrae, two ribs on the right and one on the left. It's a bit up in the air how long I'll be out for as they're saying three months, but hopefully it'll around eight weeks or so.

"I was conscious for the whole thing and the horse died on take-off. He went to take off with me and it was like someone cut the power when he went to take off and he was dead before we hit the ground. I would've been grand if I hadn't got a kicking from the horses behind - that's how I got my injuries."

Dowling, who has ridden 16 winners in Britain, is keen to get back as soon as possible and his latest injury as not prompted any thoughts of quitting the saddle.

"A few people have said that to me, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet," added the 25-year-old. "That was as an unfortunate a fall as you could get.

"I've been riding all season - 70-odd rides - and I haven't turned a horse over all season. I was bang up in the shake-up and we were rattling along, but unfortunately there were a lot of horses coming behind me.

"There's no nice time to be off, but if there was a time it's the summer. The ground is hard and the sun's on your back."