Jockey Vlad Duric says it’s a ‘miracle’ he avoided serious injury after horror race fall

Vlad Duric feels “blessed” to escape with only concussion and bruised ribs after a sickening accident on the Sunshine Coast last Friday night.

Brisbane-based jockey Vlad Duric says it’s a “miracle” he dodged any serious injury following a nasty race fall on the Sunshine Coast last week.

The Caulfield Cup-winning jockey feels “blessed” to escape with only concussion and bruised ribs after a sickening accident while riding The Player on the Sunshine Coast last Friday night.

The gelding had just finished third when he clipped heels after the winning post and fell on top of Duric, pinning the Victorian jockey to the turf.

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Sunshine Coast steward James Williamson and swab attendant Michael Adams, brother of Queensland chief steward Josh, rushed to Duric’s aid and helped roll the horse off the jockey.

The Player suffered a broken shoulder in the fall and sadly, was later euthanised.

“I’ve got a full memory of everything leading up to the fall,” said Duric, who won the 2007 Caulfield Cup on Master O’Reilly.

“I really want to thank James and Michael for rushing to help me because the horse’s back legs were right near my head apparently.

“It could’ve been a lot worse. I’m just blessed that the horse didn’t kick out and hit me in the head.

“He was on top of me basically from my belly-button down so to not have a bruise on my legs or have a broken leg is a bit of a miracle.

“For me you don’t think about those things, the quicker you get back on a horse the better.”

Vlad Duric after winning the Group 3 Winx Guineas for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Adams said he didn’t actually see the fall but his instincts kicked in and he was quick to rush to Duric’s aid.

“It’s confronting when someone you see quite regularly is in dire straits,” he told Racenet on Friday.

“James and I got to the incident at the same time. Vlad was conscious and trying to get himself out from under the horse.

“We rolled the horse off him and then James and I got on the horse to keep it down and protect him (Duric) as much as possible until the ambulance staff arrived.

“Of course the proximity to the moving horse was the most difficult part of the situation.

“I got raked by its rear hoofs but not very hard. Vlad was pinned under the horse’s belly so if it had been kicking, he would’ve been injured a lot worse.

“But fortunately the horse was laying still when we got to him and didn’t really kick until we rolled him off Vlad. He was very lucky.”

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Duric said the accident was “up there” as one of the worst in his racing career, which started at Bairnsdale in Victoria 31 years ago.

“It’s pretty extreme sort of circumstances,” he said.

“I was in a five-horse fall at Werribee one day (in September 2003 aboard Kadestad) and broke my shoulder. I was the first to fall and had 12 or 13 horses behind that went over the top of me.

“I had some nasty falls early in my career but fortunately over the last 14 years I think this is my only race fall so I’ve been really fortunate.

Vlad Duric with Tony Gollan after Antino’s Group 2 Victory Stakes win at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

“I’ve lost friends on the track so I feel so blessed to avoid any serious injuries.”

Duric will undergo a concussion test on Wednesday but he expects to be given the green light to ride in the rescheduled $2m Jewel Day on the Gold Coast next Saturday.

Cyclone Alfred has been a blessing in disguise for Duric, who would have missed out on Jewel Day had the rich meeting not been shifted from its original date of this Saturday.

He will ride Rob Heathcote’s stable stars Pretty Dubious in the $500,000 2YO QTIS Jewel (1200m) and Caspernova, which will chase a fourth straight victory in a Class 4 Plate (1200m) in the twilight meeting on the Glitter Strip.

Originally published as Jockey Vlad Duric says it’s a ‘miracle’ he avoided serious injury after horror race fall