Ted Durcan suffers more injury woe

Ted Durcan faces a spell on the sidelines at a crucial stage of the new season after fracturing his left ankle in a fall at Leicester.

The Classic-winning jockey will not know exactly how long he will be out of action for until he has undergone surgery, which he hopes will be in the coming week.

Durcan was injured when unshipped from the fifth-placed Plundered after the winning line in a five-furlong novice stakes.

"I went to Leicester Royal Infirmary to have my ankle X-rayed and, as we expected, it is fractured," said Durcan.

"To be honest we knew more or less at the racecourse but I obviously I went to hospital to make sure.

"It's got a clean fracture which will need an operation later on in the week. I'm seeing my specialist on Tuesday and hopefully then I'll have it operated on later in the week.

"Until I have it operated on I won't know how long I'll be out for, but it's most annoying now because the season has only just started in earnest.

"It's happened at the worst time which is extremely annoying, but that's the way it is, I'm afraid."