GRAND NATIONAL WINNING jockey Ryan Mania was airlifted to hospital following a serious fall during racing at Hexham today.
Mania, who was the toast of the racing world after he partnered 66/1-shot Auroras Encore to a famous victory at Aintree, was riding again for winning trainer Sue Smith in the St John Lee Handicap Hurdle.
Racing at the Northumberland track was delayed while the 23-year-old Scot was treated after falling from Stagecoach Jasper. He was airlifted to hospital in Newcastle.
Clerk of the course James Armstrong said: “All I can say at the moment is he’s conscious and talking and he is being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for further assessment.
“Hopefully all will be fine, but we won’t have any more news until later.”
“I think Ryan took a kick between his shoulder blades but he can move all his limbs and is talking,” Mania’s valet Steve Charlton told the Racing Post.
“Hopefully he’s not too bad but as usual they are being very careful.”
– Additional reporting by AFP
