Sammy Jo Bell will return to action at Wolverhampton on Monday, 10 months after a paddock injury that was supposed to put her on the sidelines for only a month.
Bell’s pelvis was broken when her mount Royal Duchess reared up and fell on top of her at Carlisle last May and, after she was initially told her recovery might take four to six weeks, it was eventually discovered that the Antrim‑born jockey would need surgery that put her in a wheelchair for weeks.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Bell said on Sunday as she contemplated a low-key return to race-riding. She has two rides at Wolverhampton, aboard Boogie Babe and Miss Goldsmith, who are a combined 0-12 in their races to date.
That will be a far cry from the day at Ascot in 2015 when Bell, the first apprentice to take part in the Shergar Cup, beat top-class jockeys from around the world to win the Silver Saddle. But Bell has turned 26 during her recuperation, meaning that she loses her apprentice status, adding to the challenge she faces in trying to re-establish herself. On the other hand, she is still able to claim 3lb off the backs of her mounts, having not yet hit 95 wins in her career; she has 29 to go before reaching that landmark and would love to get there this year.
“Everything’s going well and I passed the doctor last week,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can to be fit and I’ve been riding on the simulator at least once a week. But any jockey’ll tell you that you can’t really be race-fit until you’re riding in races.”
Bell is especially grateful to the North Yorkshire trainer Richard Fahey, who continues to offer his support, having helped her to break through two years ago. “Everything’s as it was before, I’m there riding out every day and I hope to get my chances along with everyone else. I’ll be properly fit by the time the turf season gets going next month.”
This has been Bell’s first racing-related injury and in the circumstances she could hardly be blamed for frustration that it has taken so long to get back on track, but she gives a convincing impression of having come to terms with that. “When you’re out for a long time, you just sort of accept it. If it was just a few weeks, it might have been different, I’d have been itching to get back.
“As much as I watched some racing, I kept myself away from it most of the time, didn’t think about the rides or the wins I might have been missing. I got time to see my family, chill out and just have a bit of a life. You’ve got to make the most of it. But now I’m really looking forward to getting back to it.”
Tips for Monday’s races, by Chris Cook
Lingfield
2.20 Arthington 2.50 Flemcara 3.20 Ardmayle 3.50 Old Salt 4.20 Matrow’s Lady 4.50 Flugzeug 5.20 Sea Wall
Southwell
2.00 Stage One 2.30 Midnight Jade 3.00 Earlshill 3.30 Grace Tara 4.00 Starlight Court 4.30 Willyegolassiego
Wolverhampton
2.10 Moi Aussie 2.40 Loumarin 3.10 Trotter 3.40 Lacan 4.10 Simply Me (nap) 4.40 Powered (nb) 5.10 Fabricate 5.40 Enfolding
