Tinsley planning Riccarton return

Hayden Tinsley  hopes to be fit to ride at Riccarton on Saturday.

Tinsley missed the Trentham meeting yesterday after being kicked in the birdcage at Awapuni last Saturday.

He spent the night in hospital and was still in some pain yesterday, from bruising around the kidney area.

"It's pretty sore when I bend over or use the back muscles," Tinsley said.

"But I will take it easy for a couple of days and hopefully get back on a horse on Thursday or, at the latest, Friday."

Tinsley is especially keen to make the Riccarton meeting as he regards the central districts filly Daffodil as a winning chance in the $325,000 One Thousand Guineas (1600m).

Tinsley, who had never been kicked by a horse previously, was saved from serious injury by his safety vest.

"Apparently I got both barrells and if I hadn't been wearing a vest it could have been very serious, possible life threatening," he said.

Meanwhile, Lisa Cropp was also kicked in the birdcage last weekend, at the Waipa meeting, and suffered a broken leg.

Cropp was stood down for the remainder of the day but had hoped that the leg was only bruised and the break was not confirmed till the following day.

The leg is now in plaster and Cropp has little idea at this stage as to when she might return to riding.

- © Fairfax NZ News