DAVID GOODWIN NEWMARKET IN INTENSIVE CARE

DAVID GOODWIN NEWMARKET badly injured whilst cycling, stated to be a stable groom.

Graham Green reports for the Racing Post on Friday May 21st



“As doctors yesterday prepared to bring Dave Goodwin out of an induced coma, Jean Bucknell, long term partner of the popular Newmarket stable groom who suffered head and multiple injuries in a road accident on Tuesday, said she had been overwhelmed by the response of the town’s racing community.


Goodwin 59 to-day, who led up Derby winners Slip Anchor and Commander In Chief and shared the Stable Lad of the year award in 2002, had earlier been opening his eyes on demand in the intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge , where two nurses were constantly monitoring him.


Goodwin, who now works for Jeremy Noseda and is a competitive cyclist, was out training and only a mile from his home when his racing bike was in collision with a van on a blind bend in Snailwell, near Newmarket.


Bucknell said: “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing since seven this morning , and you don’t realise until times like this how people rally round, and we are getting great support from everybody.

“Jeremy is there if I need him and has been on the phone.”


The full extent of Goodwin’s injuries are not yet known, but Bucknell said he had already undergone surgery to release pressure on the brain.


She said “The main concern, which they can’t do too much with at the moment, is he split one kidney in three pieces, but they say that it has stopped bleeding now because Dave is so strong and ultra-fit.


“They are going to try to get him out of the coma to-day and then they can do a bit more on his brain and see how it is functioning.” ENDS



TURFCALL: David Goodwin is a top professional horseman of the very highest calibre, more so than many jockeys who hold British licenses to ride on the track. It is a false and grossly misleading statement to refer to David as ‘stable groom’ or a member of ‘stable staff.’


That the British Horseracing Authority Regulation Parties allow such grossly inaccurate references in regard to top, highly skilled professional horsemen goes to underline their own ignorance and ‘Bloodhorse Illiteracy.’ Big wigs who have no business to be regulating this sport for starters.


That the Burnham Report found and informed trainers to employ superstore shelf stackers to go in part time to handle and ride out thoroughbred racehorses placed in training by owners, to be paid at the minimum wage. Why was such ignorant and highly dangerous advice as this ever allowed?




ENDS