Anthony Andrews expects to be out action for the best part of three months as a result of the injuries he suffered in the pens when Cape Town racing resumed at Kenilworth last week.
His mount in race three, the Glen Kotzen newcomer Magical Midlands, somehow got his leg stuck over the foot barrier and Andrews’ right leg was painfully crushed between the horse and the framework. He also dislocated his left thumb.
Finding out exactly what was damaged proved a long process – “Because of Covid-19 everything has to be sterilised and so they only do a certain amount of MRI scans at the Mediclinic,” he reports.
The scans revealed a partial tear of a ligament in his right knee and a Grade 1 sprain of the main ligament. “They put me into a knee brace as any side movement could tear the ligament. That would mean an operation and eight months off.
“I have been doing physiotherapy and the specialist said that in 12 weeks I will be able to be back on a horse but I am hoping to be race-riding then. It’s extremely tough as I had some nice horses that I was looking forward to but at least I don’t have to have an op this time so there is that little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”
Andrews, 31, was referring to his previous bad pens accident in April 2018 when his right foot was similarly squeezed and ligaments damaged while his right shoulder required an operation. He was out for months.
Magical Midlands, scratched by the starter, will now make his debut in the valuable Klawervlei Farm Sale Graduate Race at Kenilworth on Tuesday but the runner Andrews will be watching even more closely is stable companion Tanzanite Queen. He rode her on debut last week, she finished a highly encouraging second and will be one of the favourites on Tuesday.e
Bernard Fayd’Herbe hopes to be back in action by the end of the month. He has been undergoing rehab as a result of the freak lower back spasm he suffered when going down to the start at Kenilworth in February. He recovered sufficiently to win the SA Classic on Got The Greenlight in early March but then heeded his specialist’s advice to take a break.
By Michael Clower
