Millie Wonnacott: I had two fractures in my C1 - I'm scanned every three months

Millie Wonnacott is hopeful a scan in December will paint a clearer picture for her return to action after the promising jump jockey fractured her neck at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Wonnacott, who is linked to the Neil Mulholland yard near Bath, was riding Kansas City Chief for the trainer in the Pertemps Final when the 12-year-old unseated her at the fifth hurdle.

The injury denied her a first ride for champion trainer Paul Nicholls in the following afternoon's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle on Fabulous Saga and has kept her on the sidelines since.

"I had two fractures in my C1 and I get scanned every three months," Wonnacott said.

Wonnacott winning the London National on Doing Fine at Sandown last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I was scanned in June and it hadn't healed and another in September, which showed it wasn't quite joined together. I had a neck brace on for six months, but that came off two weeks ago. I'm able to drive now and can move around a bit, which makes things a lot easier and I'm actually quite a good patient, surprisingly.

"The injury is surrounded by scar tissue now, which has made it more stable, and I'll get scanned in early December and go from there. They might not let me get on a horse for another couple of months though, neck injuries can be tricky and Davy Russell only recently come back after a long time off with one."

Wonnacott started riding under rules in the 2018-19 season and quickly gained momentum, particularly over fences, a discipline she has a 25 per cent strike-rate (8-32) in.

She won Sandown's London National on Doing Fine in December and struck on the Polly Gundry-trained Dawson City in the Somerset National at Wincanton a month later.

The 5lb claimer did not anticipate such a lengthy spell on the sidelines after returning from a serious back injury last year.

"I got up after the unseat and ran back to the weighing room buzzing that I didn't get kicked, although it was a shame to miss that ride in the Martin Pipe," she added.

"I broke my back in August last year and was off until December. I had a really good run after that from December through to March, so the injury was unfortunate but there's not a lot you can do about it."

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