Jockey Tommy Berry to see a nerve specialist and undergo acupuncture to help overcome shoulder injury

Tommy Berry was in debilitating pain which forced him to forgo winning rides on Wednesday and will see a specialist and undergo treatment on his shoulder in a bid to ride at Rosehill on Saturday.

Jockey Tommy Berry is fighting to overcome shoulder pain to be fit to ride at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Champion jockey Tommy Berry will undergo further treatment on a painful arm injury as he strives to be fit to ride at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The jockey underwent an MRI scan on Thursday and is due to see a nerve specialist on Friday to determine the cause of his pain.

Berry injured the triceps muscle of his left arm in a barrier trial incident earlier this week but rode at Kensington midweek where he won the opener on promising colt Theblade.

But after one more ride, Berry was in debilitating pain and forced to relinquish the rest of his mounts which included two winners, Jamberoo and Equipage.

“I want to find out what’s causing the problem because I don’t want to turn up at Rosehill on Saturday thinking I’m OK only to have to give up some of my rides,” Berry said.

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Theblade right down the outside takes the opener on debut at Randwick!@[e-mail]/c8uvqsYAC7

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 14, 2024

“I’m seeing a doctor on Friday who has been recommended to me and I will also get some acupuncture treatment. Hopefully, I will be OK to ride.”

Berry felt he had recovered from his arm when he went to the Kensington meeting on Wednesday but started to experience pain after riding Theblade to an easy win.

“The pain got worse after my second ride and I had no strength in my left arm,” Berry said.

“I struggled to even do the buttons up on my shirt when I was getting ready to leave the track.

“The frustrating thing was three hours later I was OK with no pain in my arm. It’s only when I go out riding that it flares up.”

Berry is hopeful he gets the all-clear on Friday as he has nine rides at the Rosehill meeting including boom three-year-old High Octane in the Listed $200,000 The Rosebud (1100m).

The Peter Snowden-trained High Octane showed considerable promise last season winning the Blue Diamond Preview impressively on debut before having no luck at his next two starts including the Blue Diamond.

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The most expensive son of Deep Field, High Octane, holds out Holmes A Court 💥 pic.twitter.com/ed1BSFhXYC

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High Octane has had two barrier trials leading into his Rosebud return including his closing second under Berry in a Randwick 1050m heat last week.

Godolphin’s race-fit Tarpaulin is early favourite for The Rosebud at $3.30 with High Octane in the market at $6.

Berry’s other rides including Gitalong ($5, James Squire Handicap), Cavalier Charles ($6, Toyota Material Handling Handicap) and Go Troppo ($8.50, Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap).

■ Trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald have gained permission to gallop their Group 1-winning mare Lady Laguna between races at Rosehill on Saturday.

Lady Laguna will work with stablemate Hell Hath No Fury over 1000m on the course proper after the opening race on the program.

There will be a galaxy of equine stars having exhibition gallops on Saturday including a solo workout from Godolphin trainer James Cummings’s top mare Zardozi.

Chris Waller will have six of his leading spring carnival contenders gallop between races with Fangirl, Via Sistina and Riff Rocket after race two then Joliestar, Zougotcha and Atishu working after the third race on the program.

Originally published as Jockey Tommy Berry to see a nerve specialist and undergo acupuncture to help overcome shoulder injury