Thomas ruled out of Festival

Jockey suffers neck and back injuries in fall on gallops

Last updated: 12th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Sam Thomas

Thomas: Cheltenham absence
It's obviously disappointing that he will miss Cheltenham, but the news is largely positive and his injuries will heal with time.

Tom George
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Sam Thomas has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival after suffering cracked vertebrae in fall on Thursday morning.

Thomas sustained neck and back injuries and was airlifted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath following the accident on the gallops at Paul Nicholls' yard.

Trainer Tom George, for whom Thomas is stable jockey, reported his injuries to be not as serious as first feared on Thursday evening, but did confirm he will not be riding at the Festival.

"I haven't spoken to Sam directly, but I've spoken to his father who is with him and he will not be riding at Cheltenham next week," George said.

"He has suffered a crack to a vertebrae high up in his neck, but it is not as bad as first feared and he is able to walk, talk and move his hands and feet.

"It's obviously disappointing that he will miss Cheltenham, but the news is largely positive and his injuries will heal with time."

The injury is a huge blow to Thomas, whose finest hour to date came when he rode Denman to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in 2008.

His rides at the Festival this year were due to include the Nicholls-trained Tricky Trickster in the Gold Cup and George's Tell Massini, ante-post favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.