‘My heart goes out to him’: Irish champion jockey Jack Kennedy breaks his leg for the sixth time

Irish diving champion. Jack Kennedy he faces a long spell on the sidelines after breaking his leg for the sixth time when Twoohthree suffered a fatal fall at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Kennedy, who took on Paul Townend on the final day of last season to claim his first title, was aboard Twoohthree in the first rookie race. won Impaire et Passe. The pair were the last to fall and the 25-year-old crashed into Sean O’Keefe, who fell independently at O’Moore Park near the same fence.

Richard Downey, medical officer for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “Jack fractured his right tibia and attended Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown for treatment of the injury.”

Sam Ewing is set to compete in the Stayers’ Hero Steeplechase Teahupu V Grace Hutton’s Obstacle at Fairyhouse on Sunday and is also expected to partner Firefox V Drinmore Novice Chase And Romeo Coolio V Royal Bond Beginner’s Obstacle.

Ewing won on both of these horses at Down Royal earlier this month when Kennedy was disqualified.

Gordon Elliott said: “My heart goes out to Jack but the only thing I can assure him of is that all those horses will be here for him when he returns. Jack is a huge part of the team at Callentra and we would be completely lost without him.

“He will come back and all the horses will be here for him when he comes back. I’d say Sam will be riding on Sunday and he’s a great guy to call on big days like this.”

Kennedy missed the 2023 Cheltenham Festival after breaking his leg for the fifth time in a fall from Top Bandit in Naas in January that year, and while this latest setback is another bitter pill for him to swallow, He is expected to recover in time. for the 2025 festival.

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