'Restful night' for Josh Moore as weighing-room colleagues pray for recovery

Josh Moore remains stable and under sedation at Aintree University Hospital on Sunday after the stricken rider was moved to critical care four days ago.

Moore had successful surgery on a broken femur after falling from Gleno in the veterans' chase at Haydock the previous Saturday, when he also sustained broken ribs, a punctured lung and damage to his back.

However, the treatment of his injuries has been delayed by a chest infection, and the Injured Jockeys Fund revealed on Wednesday that the 30-year-old had been moved to critical care at Aintree University Hospital and has been sedated on a ventilator.

The rider had previously been moved to intensive care last Sunday due to a rare reaction while under sedation before his Monday operation.

Speaking to Nick Luck on Luck On Sunday, Hayley Moore reported that her brother was still in a stable condition and had a restful night under sedation, with his mother Jayne and partner Phoebe at his bedside.

Moore was at the forefront of thoughts as the British jumps season concluded at Sandown on Saturday, with his weighing-room colleagues past and present continuing to send their prayers and well wishes to the jockey and his family.

Jamie Moore said there had been some slight improvement in his brother's condition on Friday, but that there was still a "long way to go" in his recovery, and jockeys at Sandown were keeping everything crossed for one of the most popular riders in Britain.

"It has been a shocking week," said senior rider Tom Scudamore. "I can only imagine what the Moores have been going through, but hopefully the news is getting better.

"Josh is extremely popular and they're also such a good family. The Moores are great ambassadors and, for me, they epitomise what the sport is about.

"As jockeys we've obviously been in contact with Jamie, but we also don't want to be interfering too much. They already know they have the support of everyone.

"It's more a case that if there's anything we can do we will, maybe picking something up in Liverpool or dropping something off. That's more useful than us asking how Josh is every ten minutes. They know that if there's anything they need, they can rely on us."

The Moore family were represented at Sandown, with Privatory, trained by Josh's father Gary and ridden by Jamie, finishing unplaced in the bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle.

Summing up how the weighing room will be feeling, retired 20-time champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy told ITV viewers: "It's very hard for everyone in the weighing room. Josh is their colleague and friend, and someone who is really missed. They're all praying for him and hopefully Josh will pull through.

"It's been a great day of celebration, but when you come in here [to Sandown] all you think about is Josh Moore, his mum Jayne, his dad Gary and his brothers and sister. It's a tough time and we just have to pray everything is going to be okay for Josh."