Grand National winning jockey Derek Fox sidelined for 6 weeks

Derek Fox, the jockey who won the Grand National on Corach Rambler, has been sidelined for a further six weeks with an injury sustained at Perth yesterday.

At the Grand National festival two weeks ago, Fox was replaced by Brian Hughes on Ahoy Senor in the Aintree Bowl after falling the previous week at Wetherby.

Despite initial fears over his availability to ride Corach Rambler, the 8/1 favourite coming off the back of consecutive Ultima handicap chase wins at Cheltenham, Fox was declared fit to ride by trainer Lucinda Russell.

Fox and Russell combined for a second Grand National triumph, following One For Arthur in 2017.

The 30-year-old’s last ride for Russell ended in a fall after being unseated on Diamond State in a 2m 4f novice handicap chase at Perth, breaking his collarbone.

Russell’s partner and assistant trainer Peter Scudamore said Fox will be out for five or six weeks but expressed relief of the timing – 12 days after his return ride in horse racing’s biggest steeplechase.

“He’s broken his collarbone and will be out for six weeks. But it could have been worse – it could have been a fortnight ago!”

Fox was due to take the ride on Russell’s Douglas Talking, who finished a narrow second to Dancing On My Own for Henry de Bromhead in the premier handicap at Aintree, in today’s handicap chase at Punchestown.

Stephen Mulqueen has stepped in place on the 5/2 favourite according to the best horse racing betting sites, with Willie Mullins’ Dinoblue (3/1) and Terence O’Brien’s Whiskeywealth (5/1) close behind in the market.