'On Sunday I was celebrating and now I'm hit with this. I'm really gobsmacked.

English and Irish Derby-winning jockey Alan Munro was yesterday dropped the biggest bombshell of his glittering 13-year career when he was stood down for a further nine months by Royal Hong Kong Jockey doctors.

Munro, 29, was hoping to resume race-riding in the next week or so following a trackwork fall from Universal Boss three months ago which led to a convulsion.

But now the Jockey Club's doctors, acting on advice from Dr Michael Turner, the senior medical adviser to the British Jockey Club, insist that any jockey who falls and then suffers a convulsion must have a complete year off.

There is no medical evidence whatsoever that Munro suffered an epileptic fit, just that his convulsion was brought about by a severe blow to the head. Next season, Munro was due to ride as stable jockey for the in-form local handler Alex Wong Siu-tan, and has stayed in the territory and worked tirelessly to that end during the past three months.

As recently as Sunday, the Jockey Club's director of racing Philip Johnston was saying that medical clearance was no more than a formality.

'I'm absolutely devastated,' Munro said yesterday. 'On Sunday I was celebrating and now I'm hit with this. I'm really gobsmacked. I can't believe it.' Munro added: 'When I heard the news on Sunday that I was licensed to ride for Alex subject to further tests, I was delighted as I thought this was just a formality.