Irish jockey Tommy Dowling suffers multiple injuries in Fontwell fall

Conditional jockey Tommy Dowling is set to spend several months on the sidelines after suffering multiple injuries in a heavy fall at Fontwell on Friday.

The 7lb claimer took a tumble from the Charlie Mann-trained My Anchor at the first flight in the Chancellor Of The FormChecker Handicap Hurdle and while he remained conscious, he was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

From Baltinglass in Wicklow, Dowling is based with Mann, who revealed the extent of his injuries.

“It’s not great for the poor kid, unfortunately.

“He’s broken his shoulder, his collarbone, possibly his pelvis and some vertebrae. He’s also bruised his kidneys.

“It looks like he’s going to be out for a long time. It’s looking like at least six months and could even be longer.

“He’s having an MRI scan later today and hopefully we’ll have a better idea after that, but it’s a bad blow for him as he’d been going well and riding a few winners.

“It could have been worse, though. He could have ended up in a wheelchair.”