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Alan Aitken

Australian jockey Michael Rodd's Melbourne Cup dream ended yesterday in a bloody toss and tumble nightmare of horse and rider as his fall from Kowloon Star left him with two wrist fractures.

Booked to ride Pacific Dancer, one of the favourites in Tuesday's Cup, Rodd was left with nothing but philosophy last night after returning from the hospital with his right wrist in a cast as a result of Kowloon Star's massive bleeding attack.

'I'm devastated. There's a Melbourne Cup every year but you're not always on one of the favourites,' the dejected 22-year-old said.

'The only consolation is that the fall could have been that much worse if I hadn't felt something coming.'

Rodd's mount crossed over quickly to sit outside the leader Zero In into the first turn but no sooner had Rodd got there than he could feel the horse was in trouble.

'He just felt awful so I steered him out off the track and a few moments later, he was gone,' Rodd said.

'If I'd stayed where I was, I could have had the whole field go over the top of me.'

Kowloon Star lived through the experience, with the tumble possibly allowing the blood to draw from his lungs and giving him the chance to breathe again, but it was his second attack and he will be compulsorily retired from racing.

'I have some further X-rays on Monday and I have to get the wrist properly set by an orthopaedic surgeon, so until all that happens, I have no idea how long I'll be out,' Rodd said. Rodd has an appeal pending against a careless riding ban but that has now become redundant. In the stewards' room yesterday, the inquiry resumed into interference to Dashing Thunder at Happy Valley last Wednesday night and jockey Brett Doyle received two bans for separate incidents within the final 200 metres.

Doyle was suspended for two days and fined $10,000 on the first count then received two days and a $15,000 fine for the second.

The two-day suspensions will be served concurrently.

This means Doyle will ride on Tuesday then miss next Saturday and the following midweek meeting.



Rodd's Melbourne Cup dream shattered