Victorian jockey Thomas Doyle is on the road to recovery after falling from the Chloe Baxter-trained Aplomado at Fannie Bay on July 13 during the Darwin Cup Carnival.
Aplomado, running third at the time, clipped heels after veering outwards leaving the back straight at the 650m, dislodging Doyle.
The backmarkers avoided the 25-year-old, who landed heavily on the dirt surface, but he was knocked out and received ambulance treatment before being transported to Royal Darwin Hospital.
It was Doyle’s second fall in just over three months, having been dislodged from the Helen Burns-trained National Diamond at Stawell on March 31.
He was sidelined for two months with concussion.
The Ballarat rider suffered concussion and several bleeds to the brain following his Darwin ordeal and spent a few days recuperating in hospital.
“The follow up scans I had in Darwin showed that it was a little bit worse than what they initially thought,” Doyle said.
“I also ended up getting a mild traumatic brain injury, known as a diffuse axonal injury.”
Getting back home then proved an issue for Doyle and his dog, as he couldn’t fly or drive.
Kyneton-based trainer Neil Dyer, who had booked Doyle for the Darwin Cup Carnival, came to the rescue when he took horses back to Victoria in his truck.
“My car is still in Darwin — I was looked after by pretty much everyone up there, which was great,” Doyle added.
“After I got back to Victoria, I ended up getting admitted to Epworth Hospital in Melbourne.
“I’m getting treatment four days a week — physio and I’m on a neuro rehab program — and I’m now living in Melbourne.
“It’s been going for a while and I finish the program just before Christmas.
“After the falls at Stawell and Darwin, I’ve had too many head knocks close together.
“Just got to complete the one-percenters every day and keep going.
“It has been an eventful couple of months, that’s for sure.”
Doyle, who started riding in Queensland in 2018, enjoyed his NT experience and would welcome the opportunity to ride in Darwin and Alice Springs again.
“It didn’t go the way I was hoping, but I still had a great time up there and met a lot of great people,” he said.
“As far as returning to riding, hopefully that may occur at some point next year.
“Obviously, we don’t have a time frame or a date set at this stage.”
Horse racing news
