Star jockey Tommy Berry set to return after suffering facial injury at home

Star jockey Tommy Berry had to forego his rides at Warwick Farm on Wednesday but scans cleared him of a serious facial injury.

Star jockey Tommy Berry has been cleared of serious damage after undergoing a second scan on a facial injury that sidelined him from Wednesday’s Warwick Farm card.

Initial X-rays cleared the star rider of any bone damage to his eye socket and cheekbone and that prognosis was supported in a second scan done on Wednesday.

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Berry suffered bruising to his face after slipping on a wet floor at home but was cleared of any serious damage when he underwent tests on Sunday.

He rode trials at Canterbury on Tuesday but had to forgo his rides at the midweek city meeting in order to get more scans on the area of concern.

“I feel like I am fine but visibly it doesn’t look good,” Berry said.

“I had X-rays done on the night it happened which came up clear but the Stewards were of the opinion that because it was so swollen and they can sometimes miss stuff because of the swelling, that I should get a second opinion so I had some more tests done on Wednesday.

“The second set of scan results have cleared me of any breaks or fractures.

“It’s intense soft tissue damage.”

Berry felt fit to ride at Warwick Farm on Wednesday but was happy to err on the side of caution with an additional two metropolitan meetings later this week.

Tommy Berry has had a successful end to the carnival. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images

He has four rides at Randwick Kensington on Friday and as well as seven bookings on Saturday at Rosehill Gardens, including four for Chris Waller.

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Exciting colt Theblade, the nephew of champion sprinter Black Caviar, will give Berry added reason to be fit for the weekend when the three-year-old returns in the Petaluma Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m).

Theblade won on debut with Berry aboard by 5¾ lengths at Randwick Kensington and the Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes-trained galloper is a $3 second elect to maintain his unbeaten record.

Berry enjoyed an excellent end to the spring carnival after winning both the $3m Big Dance and $1m The Gong aboard rising star Gringotts.

He plans to pilot the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper in the $2m The Ingham (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday week.

Gringotts is the $2.75 favourite for The Ingham.

Originally published as Star jockey Tommy Berry set to return after suffering facial injury at home