Lyle Hewitson is hoping to be fit and firing for the start of the 2025-26 season after suffering wrist and ankle fractures in a nasty fall at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Hewitson slammed into the turf after Seasons Wit broke down in Wednesday night’s fifth race, with doctors telling the South African jockey he could be sidelined for as long as 10 weeks.
“I’m going OK all things considered. It’s so frustrating. Obviously it’s all about perspective and it could have been worse, so I am lucky, but I was just having such a nice end to the season. Now I’m out for 10 weeks or so,” said Hewitson.
“I think they always probably give you the worst-case scenario, so hopefully I can be back in eight weeks, which gives me enough time to be fit and ready for the new season.”
Hewitson will undergo surgery to insert pins and plates on Thursday night and hopes to head home from hospital on Friday.
“The ankle is not too bad and I’m not actually sore in the ankle, but the doctor said if he puts a plate in it, it will allow me to load weight and actually use it. It’s the best way to ensure it will knit properly,” he said.
“They said I’d be knocked out anyway while they were doing my wrist so they may as well do the ankle all at once.
“I’m in a lot of pain with my wrist now when the meds wear off because I’ve got a broken bone, but they’ve said that once it’s all put back together the pain will reduce completely. Hopefully that means I can head home and relax.”
When Hewitson does return home, the motivation driving his recovery won’t only be a return to riding, but also helping wife Hannah with their two-week-old son Myles.
“It’s so cool,” he said of becoming a father. “Now I’ve got heaps of time to learn to be a dad.”
Karis Teetan and Jerry Chau Chun-lok were also involved in Wednesday night’s fall, with both escaping serious injury.
Teetan was left with leg soreness after tumbling from Watch This One but he has been passed fit to ride at Sha Tin on Saturday.
“All my scans were clear. I saw the doctor this morning and he’s happy,” said the Mauritian, who partners Agenda, Sunny Sing Spirit, Brave Witness, Legendary Impact, Viva Taste, Wukong Jewellery and Beauty Alliance at the season’s 83rd meeting.
Chau landed heavily after falling from Eternal Fortune but was confident of being discharged from hospital on Thursday after remaining under observation on Wednesday night.
The 25-year-old was feeling very sore and sorry for himself on Thursday but is hopeful of returning to the saddle after serving a two-meeting suspension which would have seen him miss Saturday’s meeting and next Tuesday’s Sha Tin fixture anyway.
Hewitson joins Vincent Ho Chak-yiu in being sidelined for the rest of the season, with Ho continuing his slow recovery from a serious concussion suffered in February.
