Dylan Browne McMonagle 'feeling good' and can't wait to return as he speaks out for first time since horror fall

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Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle has spoken publicly for the first time since his horror fall at Bellewstown last week and delivered the news all racing fans wanted to hear by revealing his recovery is going really well.

The 23-year-old hit the deck just over a furlong out in a mile maiden at the County Meath venue last Tuesday, when his mount, Mosel, suffered a fatal leg injury on a night when there were several fallers and racing was abandoned after two contests.

The medical team were instantly on the scene to attend to the rider, and he was conscious leaving the track in an ambulance bound for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.

"I'm feeling good," Browne McMonagle told the Racing Post on Tuesday. "It's a case of so far so good with my recovery. I don't have an exact date on when I'll be back riding, but I'm already looking forward to it."

The man who rode 95 winners last season on the way to being crowned champion jockey for the first time was full of praise for those who looked after him in the aftermath of his Bellewstown tumble, while also acknowledging the huge support he has received from the public over the last week.

Browne McMonagle said: "I must say a huge thank you to all the medical staff who looked after me so well on the night at Bellewstown. We really would be lost without them in this game. 

"I'd also like to thank everyone who has sent me their best wishes since the fall. I really do appreciate them all very much."

Dylan Browne McMonagle receives his champion jockey trophy from John Osborne at the Curragh last NovemberCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

The defending champion jockey had enjoyed a terrific year before the Bellewstown incident, riding 61 winners in the title race to that point, which put him well in contention in his quest for back-to-back titles.

He had ridden a remarkable five-timer at the Curragh the previous Saturday, and earlier in the summer steered Limestone to victory in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot before celebrating a four-timer at Glorious Goodwood.

Dr Jennifer Pugh, chief medical officer for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, was full of praise for Browne McMonagle in the way he conducted himself during the worrying hours that followed his fall.

Pugh said: "Dylan is a remarkable young man. Even in the throes of everything that happened that evening, he maintained all his manners. He's a pleasure to deal with."

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