Dean Yendall faces a long time on the sidelines following his fall at Terang on December 20.
Yendall came to grief in the last 100 metres  of a maiden race. The 47-year-old father-of-one was air-lifted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital suffering neck injuries.
Speaking on Monday this week from his Horsham home , Yendall — who has ridden six Group 1 winners — said he will have scans and x-rays of his neck and back later this month before visiting doctors again at the Alfred on February 2.
“I’m out of the saddle indefinitely,” he said. “It’s the worst injury I’ve had in my riding career. I can’t do anything at home. I’ve got my neck and back in a brace. The doctors are worried about the ligament, nerve and tendon damage.
“I can’t drive either. I’ve been very lucky that my wife Christine (Puls) has been there to support me. She’s doing an amazing job and our neighbors have been sensational,” too.
A keen golfer, with a handicap under four,  now plays the game on his ipad.
“The whole situation is just so frustrating,” he said.
“The days are very long as I don’t sleep much because of aches and pains, along with the discomfort of the plaster cast brace over my neck and back. I’m just trying to rest as much as possible. I’ve been told I’ll have the brace on for another 10 weeks after I see the doctors on February 2, then there’s a lot of rehab before I even start thinking of riding again.
Yendall is a fixture of south-western district racing. He has won all the feature cup races including the 2016 Warrnambool Cup on Master Of Arts.
Through his highly successful career he has ridden more than 2600 winners.
Dabernig’s double delight
Warrnambool trainer Tom Dabernig was missing from the Koroit Cup meeting at his home track on Sunday but wife Cassie was there to cheer in their two winners.
They were successful with Finance Choice and Peidra.
“It’s our first double since we started training from Warrnambool,” Cassie said.
“Tom is up on the Gold Coast inspecting yearlings prior to the big Magic Milllions sale.”
From its past 14 starters, the Dabernig stable has produced five winners and two minor placegetters.
Enforced holiday
Handy mare Silkstream will spend at least three months on the sidelines after she bled from both nostrils following her run in a benchmark 64 at Warrnambool on Sunday.
Silkstream has won three of her 17 starts.
Bob of the head beats Bull
Popular Crossley trainer Quinton Scott was left a bit flat following the run of Bull Dust in a $35,000 race at Warrnambool on Sunday.
Bull Dust appeared home in the 1200 metre contest but was run down by Peidra right on the line to be defeated by a nose.
“I thought we had it won,” the trainer said. “But that’s racing — you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
Mr Can couldn’t ...
Stewards questioned jockey Declan Bates  following the unplaced run of Mr Cancun in the Koroit Cup on Sunday.
Mr Cancun was the short-priced favourite in the $40,000 race following an unlucky second in the Woodford Cup the previous week.
Bates said Mr Cancun failed to finish his race off as expected and may have come to the end of his preparation.
Trainer Lindsey Smith advised stewards Mr Cancun will now be spelled. A post-race veterinarian examination revealed Mr Cancun was lame in the near foreleg.
A maiden no more
Mingora broke her maiden status for Lindsay Smith at Warrnambool, winning over 1400m.
The three-year-old filly was ridden by Declan Bates and defeated stablemate Money For Old Rope.

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