Rising star jockey Ethan Brown is in critical condition after a shocking fall in Australia at Flemington on Saturday.
Brown underwent surgery to stop bleeding from internal injuries at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is expected to have another operation on Sunday.
The Victorian Jockey Association (VJA) released an update on Brown’s condition at 10:10 pm.
“Ethan has internal injuries (and) underwent surgery tonight to stop internal bleeding,” VJA reported.
“An additional operation will be required. Update released tomorrow at 4:00 pm.”
LEGARTO STEALS DRAMATIC AUSTRALIAN GUINEA
He initially arrived in stable condition, but a hospital spokesperson confirmed that he was in critical condition as of Saturday evening.
The 23-year-old rising star fell after his mount Maximilius collided with Holimants as they cleared the $1 million Group 1 300m mark on Saturday, causing Maximilius to roll onto Brown.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Mark Zahra, a Holymanz rider, has been cleared to do the remaining rides.
Zahra returned to the jockey room after the evaluation on the treadmill.
The race was ultimately won by the New Zealand-trained filly Legarto.
The stewards delayed the last two races by 40 minutes to wait for the second ambulance to arrive on the track.
Maximilius and Holimants received minor abrasions, but no other anomalies.
Stewards heard from Zahra, Damien Oliver (Amenable) and Blake Shinn (Elliptical) on Saturday but put off further inquiries until Brown could share his recollection of the incident.
Zahra told the stewards that he believed there was a “neat run” between Maximilius and the rails, but the gap closed when the three horses outside, Elliptic, Amenable and Brown’s horse, shifted into each other.
“I thought I could get through and maybe move Ethan a little,” Zahra told the stewards.
“When I went to press (through the gap), Damien took a narrow gap outside of it.
“At the time, I thought I could get through and make room for myself, but as it turns out, I can’t.”
After watching a replay of the race in the steward’s room, including views from above and from the side, Oliver said that “there wasn’t much room for error”.
Shinn, who was initially unaware of the fall that occurred behind him, told the stewards that the elliptical “maybe” had moved half the horse’s width.
“There was some sort of call, but I don’t know where it came from,” Shinn said.
“I didn’t know (Oliver was inside him and) definitely not Zahra.”
The stewards will try to reopen the investigation this week.
Originally published as Shocking Autumn Mars Group 1 Australian Guineas Won Kiwi Filly Legarto in Flemington