There are serious fears for rising jockey Tom Prebble who has had major surgery on his spine after a horrific fall at Warrnambool last Tuesday.
Prebble is the son of legendary jockey Brett Prebble, who won the Melbourne Cup in 2012 on Green Moon and also had major victories in the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup.
Brett and Maree Payne (Tom’s parents) issued a statement on Friday morning, detailing the 23-year-old’s condition and saying he was about to embark on a “very long” recovery.
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Alarmingly, the full extent of Tom’s injuries still remains unclear.
“First, on Tom’s behalf, we want to express our appreciation to the Racing Victoria Raceday Medical Team who attended Tom within seconds of the fall. We also want to thank the Ambulance Victoria crews who responded so quickly and professionally to the incident,” the statement said.
“We are indebted to the air transportation wing of Ambulance Victoria, who were responsible for transporting Tom from Warrnambool Racecourse to The Alfred Hospital with such professionalism, care and compassion.
“We want to thank The Alfred Hospital Emergency Department, every person in the surgical team and the incredible people in the Intensive Care Unit where Tom remains today. Words cannot possibly express Tom’s and our appreciation for your kindness, care, professionalism and support.
“The fall has resulted in Tom dealing with extensive injuries. His recovery and rehabilitation will extend over a very long time.
“Tom had major surgery to his spine on Tuesday night after trauma to T5 was identified. The surgery to stabilise his spine was successful and his doctors now advise he is on the road to recovery while the full extent of his injuries remains unclear.
“While we would like to provide more information to everyone at this time, the fact is the expert medical professionals treating Tom are not able to say what his outcome will be.
“We understand and sincerely appreciate the level of concern being expressed for Tom.
“We are grateful he is such a popular, respected and much-loved member of the Victorian jockey ranks after only entering our sport three years ago.”
Racing expert Michael Felgate said everyone in the industry was thinking of Tom.
”I know I speak on behalf of everyone in the industry ... our thoughts and prayers and best wishes are with Tom and also with Brett and Maree,” Felgate said on racing.com.
“We hope and pray everything will go as well as possible.
“One thing we do know is that Tom is a ripping young man. At just 23 years of age, he’s had such a successful career so far.
“(But) his career as a jockey is secondary. Quality of life moving forward is what we are all having our fingers and everything else crossed for.
“We know that there is a lot of determination in the family. He’s got the best bloodlines and the best support around him.”
Channel 7’s horse racing social team said: “Sending our best wishes to Tom Prebble ❤️🩹.”
Meanwhile, the family has asked for privacy.
“With Tom’s approval, we will provide updates on a regular basis through Racing Victoria (RV) and the Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA) as his recovery progresses.” the statement said.
“Lastly, as Tom’s parents, we would like to express our thanks to Matt Hyland from Victorian Jockeys Association, Lisa Stevens from VJA/RV Jockey Assistance Program, RV CMO Dr Ben Barresi and all at Racing Victoria for their unwavering support from the moment of his injury and we thank you all once again for your care and concern.”
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