Jockey Gina Andrews spent the night in hospital after a horror fall at Cheltenham left her with facial injuries.
Gina Andrews was in with every chance on board Haafapiece approaching the final flight in the Catesby Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham but Pam Sly’s seven-year-old took a spill and catapulted the jockey face-first into the turf.
As if the fall itself wasn’t nasty enough, Andrews was kicked in the face by the trailing horse and there was immediate concern from the medical team at the racecourse.
Thankfully, Andrews was conscious but she was still taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for further assessment and she spent the night in hospital as a precaution.
Haafapiece returned to his feet and seemed to be OK after the fall.
Haafapiece OK after his fall at @CheltenhamRaces 👍 pic.twitter.com/21UkdcPtfs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 11, 2020
Andrews’ sister Bridget who would ride Mohaayed to third in Friday’s final race gave an update on Gina’s condition and revealed she’d spoken to the injured jockey.
“Gina was OK when she left the track. She looked a bit of a mess, but she was talking,” Bridget said.
“It’s pretty rubbish I couldn’t go to hospital with her, but her husband has gone to hospital and hopefully he’ll be able to see her.
“She will not look pretty for a few days, but fingers crossed it’s only superficial.”
Thanks to everyone for their well wishes for Gina today after her horrible fall at Cheltenham, she is okay but is staying in hospital tonight. Massive thank you to all the staff and medics at @CheltenhamRaces and @NHSuk for looking after her 🙏 #getwellsoon
— Gina & Tom Ellis Racing (@GandTRacing) December 11, 2020
The Twitter account that Andrews shares with her husband, Tom Ellis, confirmed that she would be spending the night in hospital.
The tweet read: “Thanks to everyone for their well wishes for Gina today after her horrible fall at Cheltenham, she is okay but is staying in hospital tonight. Massive thank you to all the staff and medics at @CheltenhamRaces and @NHSuk for looking after her.”
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