Doleuze's season over after freak fall results in fractured heel
The season is over for top French jockey Olivier Doleuze after the result of a seemingly harmless fall at home was diagnosed this week as a fractured left heel.
Doleuze, sitting third on the championship with 38 wins, was relieved that the injury would not require surgery but he has been prescribed six weeks of rest which will take him out of the remaining meetings. The popular French rider was due to resume at Sunday's Group One Champions & Chater Cup meeting after concluding a suspension for careless riding tomorrow.
'I was doing something at home, I landed on my heels and I didn't think there was any problem - there was only a little pain but not much swelling,' Doleuze said yesterday. 'But after a few days, it had not improved at all and then for the last two days, the heel really began to hurt. So I went to the doctor, they gave me an MRI scan and found that there is a fracture there.'
Doleuze (pictured) was philosophical and pleased that simple rest was seen as sufficient treatment for the injury.
'What can you do? I am disappointed, of course. I wanted to hold my third placing in the championship and I thought I had some good rides coming up which would allow me to do it,' he said. 'But I am really very happy that it doesn't require surgery, which always complicates things a lot more. All they said I need to do is stop riding and it will be okay. So I stop and now I look forward to next season.'
Sources at the Jockey Club said it was unlikely any new jockey would be sourced for the remainder of the season to boost numbers, despite the roster being depleted by Doleuze's injury and his compatriot Eric Saint-Martin's de-licensing on Tuesday.
