Dane O'Neill 'conscious and taken to hospital for assessment' after opening race voided following unseat

The opening 1m1½f handicap at Wolverhampton was declared void after jockey Dane O'Neill had to be treated on the track having been unseated from his mount coming out of the starting stalls.

The Group 1-winning rider came off the Charlie Hills-trained Eagle Eyed Tom just after the gates opened and officials acted quickly to stop the contest. The rest of the field were able to avoid the jockey, who was being given medical assistance in the middle of the track at the start of the home straight.

O'Neill, who was conscious throughout, was stretchered off the track and assessed in an ambulance following the incident before being taken to hospital, with the second race delayed while there was a wait for another ambulance to arrive at the course.

Clerk of the course Fergus Cameron said: "All I can say is that Dane was conscious during treatment and after being looked at in the ambulance, he was taken to hospital for further assessment."

O'Neill had been booked for two other rides on the card and was replaced by Ben Curtis on Daliso in the 1m1½f fillies' novice and by James Sullivan on Dyed In The Wool in the 6f handicap.

The jockey has ridden 23 winners in Britain so far in 2023 and landed two Group 1s at Meydan earlier this year, including aboard Danyah in the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.

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