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The Australian
28-07-2025
- Health
- The Australian
Beriman calls for concussion protocols to be strengthened
Nikita Beriman has called for jockeys who suffer any kind of head knock in a fall to be stood down for a mandatory 21-day period. Beriman would like to see the 12-day stand-down period for concussion in Queensland racing extended after being forced to deal with her own health problems following a nasty four-horse fall at Ipswich early this month that left fellow jockey Mark Du Plessis with a broken rib and three fractured vertebrae. Beriman passed all her SCAT tests and was given the green light to compete on Caloundra Cup Day at the Sunshine Coast on July 5 when she had eight rides, including a winner on Chakra Boy in a $200,000 sprint race. PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! But when she was called to a stewards' inquiry late in the day, she started to feel sick and had to leave the room to vomit, sparking a series of post-concussion symptoms which are still adversely affecting the veteran hoop. 'The body's good, it's just the brain that's not 100 per cent,' she said. 'There are so many components to this, it's so frustrating. READ: 'This isn't a novelty': Female hoops set up for success 'I just need to rest the best I can and get back to being fighting fit and doing normal things. 'The doctor said it's like shaking the trunk of a tree. You're moving all the branches and leaves and you don't know what part of it is the worst.' In February last year, new concussion guidelines for junior and community sport recommended that athletes wait at least 21 days before resuming competitive contact action. The guidelines were developed by the Australian Institute of Sport in co-operation with Sports Medicine Australia. A race at Grafton in 2018 when three jockeys fell from their horses Beriman said at one stage she struggled to even touch her knees, and being sidelined from the job she loved had been a massive psychological blow that had left the normally happy-go-lucky hoop battling depression at times. 'I've never been depressed but I've had to navigate my way through that,' she said. 'I'm an active person but lately I've been up for half a day and then back in bed resting.' After visiting renowned sports doctor Peter Friis in Brisbane last Thursday, Beriman has been told to rest for the next six weeks before being reassessed for a return-to-riding date. The tough-as-nails Beriman never thought she would become an advocate to keep concussed jockeys sidelined for longer than the current 12-day period but the recent fall has changed her perspective. READ: Waller praises Berry's bold move to give rivals the Flick 'If you fall from a horse at speed, you should automatically be stood down for 21 days because you don't know what the symptoms will be,' she said. 'People can land on their feet and get concussed, it's not all about getting knocked out. 'Concussion works in so many different ways. When it shakes the brain, there are so many things inside the brain that control the way you speak, your sight, your vision, your balance. 'It only takes one to be off, especially in racing. I'm not even allowed to drive a car.' Nikita Beriman steers gelding Chakra Boy to victory on Caloundra Cup Day at the Sunshine Coast on July 5. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography Kevin Ring, the health and safety officer for the Australian Jockeys' Association, said every state and territory, except NSW, had a mandatory 12-day stand-down period for concussion. In NSW, some jockeys are back riding at the track just a few days after suffering a head knock, with each individual case treated differently. Racing Queensland boss Lachlan Murray said a review of the governing body's concussion protocols had been underway since April to discuss how other racing jurisdictions and sports managed the issue. 'The long-term health and wellbeing of our participants will always inform our decision-making,' Murray said on Sunday. 'The introduction of a mandatory 12-day stand-down period was, in our belief, a necessary first step and one that demonstrated the seriousness in which we viewed concussion for our participants.' READ: 'Monumental for racing': PVL in talks for global racing channel Ring said that checking footage of any race fall to see how a jockey had landed was crucial to determining whether that person needed to be stood down from riding. He cited the example of Braidon Small, the son of former champion Vo Rogue's rider Cyril, who was involved in a jumps fall at Pakenham in April 2019. Like Beriman, Small passed all the medical tests and was driven home by his partner. But that night he was admitted to hospital at Warrnambool after experiencing a severe headache and was later diagnosed with bleeding on the brain and placed in an induced coma. Jumps jockey Braidon Small seemed fine after a race fall in 2019 but he later ended up in an induced coma. Picture: Racing Photos Small recovered from his injuries but in 2023 he had to overcome two bouts of brain surgery to remove a tumour. 'They ended up looking at footage of the race afterwards and he was in the foetal position for about 15 seconds,' Ring said. 'This has now become a test case. One important thing is to check the film of the race and see how the jockey fell. 'If the rider is taken to hospital, then show the attending doctors how the rider landed. 'But just to stand down a rider because they fell, you're going to have a lot of jockeys up in arms. 'They already have to stand down for 12 days when they have a concussion. Eventually it'll probably be a longer period. 'At the end of the day, we're not the experts on concussion. We have to be guided by the medical experts.'
Courier-Mail
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Angela Jones leaves door open in Brisbane premiership after frustrating day at Eagle Farm
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Brisbane jockeys' premiership race is still very much alive after leader Angela Jones failed to make the most of her opportunities at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Jones had a decent book of seven rides but couldn't break through for a winner and extend her narrow lead on apprentice jockey Emily Lang, who is sidelined while serving an eight-day suspension on a careless riding charge. The 24-year-old Jones sits on 64 wins in the Brisbane premiership, two ahead of Lang, with just three metro meetings remaining before the season ends this month. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Lang returns to riding on Wednesday, hungry in the knowledge that she's still well in the hunt to create history and become the first female to win a Brisbane jockeys' premiership crown. Both Lang and Jones work for Brisbane's premier trainer Tony Gollan, who is holidaying in Bali and missed the live action at Eagle Farm on Saturday. There were several cases of 'close but no cigar' for Jones, who finished runner-up on Berezka ($3.50) and Spanish Treasure ($2.30), and third on Arisphere ($2.40), Brereton ($2.90) and Give Giggles ($4.80). Jones' chance of securing the metro premiership took a big blow when she copped a 10-day suspension for careless riding at the Caloundra Cup meeting two weeks ago when she won the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) on The Three Hundred. • Wilson-Taylor steps up for double with Waller She returned to racing last Wednesday at Doomben but couldn't find a winner on the day. Gollan's stable representative Craig Cavanough said after the final race on Saturday that it was coming down to a thrilling duel between good mates Lang and Jones. 'She was a bit unlucky with five placings,' Cavanough said about Jones. 'She's around the money and one thing about Ang, she won't let it get to her. 'She'll turn up again on Wednesday (at Eagle Farm) and ride them 100 per cent again. 'Ang is such a cool character and she never gets flustered. 'Not riding a winner today won't worry her. She'll be here on Wednesday ready to hook in again. 'The two girls are going good and it's nice to have them both in our team. It's a terrific duel between them.' Jones' fiance Kyle Wilson-Taylor jagged a double on Saturday for Sydney's top trainer Chris Waller, winning on $11 chances Yet He Moves and Caboche in consecutive 1600m races. There was drama in the penultimate race when trainer Gary Duncan lodged a protest against the winner Lead Me On which was dismissed by stewards. Duncan and jockey Taylor Marshall, riding Ten Good Reasons, argued they were denied a chance at victory when Cobi Vitler shifted across on Lead Me On just 50m from the finishing post but stewards deemed it did not affect the result. Originally published as Angela Jones leaves door open for Emily Lang in Brisbane title race after failing to ride a winner at Eagle Farm
Courier-Mail
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Grafton preview: Will Hulbert hints at a Cup upset with Dillian
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. To say co-trainer Will Hulbert was surprised at the price of Dillian in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) would be an understatement. Hulbert is adamant Dillian should have won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Eagle Farm on May 31 and at least placed in the Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast last start and feels the $26 is way over the odds. 'To be brutally honest in my opinion, I think he has been slaughtered his last three starts,' said Hulbert who trains in partnership with his father, Peter. The imported gelding finished 10th in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and last in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup behind Campaldino both times before an eighth to Half Yours in the Listed Caloundra Cup. The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! Prior to those three runs, he kicked off his campaign, his first for the stable, with back-to-back wins over 2050m at Doomben and 2400m at Eagle Farm. 'I think he should have run second in the Caloundra Cup, the Brisbane Cup, who knows if he can run two miles but being three-wide for the first 1000 metres doesn't help,' Hulbert said. 'In the QE II Cup, I've got no doubt in my mind he would have won that if he got clear air from the 800 metres. 'I would have thought Dillian would have been near favourite. 'We know he can definitely run the distance. 'I've got our old apprentice, Adin Thompson, on this week 'He doesn't need good luck to win, he just doesn't need bad luck. 'From barrier 4, he's going to get a nice run and if he gets clear running from the 800 metres, I think he will be the one to beat.' Joining Dillian in the Grafton Cup is fellow import Zoology who is also in his first preparation for the stable. The son of Zoustar pleased Hulbert on his first-up run over 1350m at Doomben despite beating just three home. The five-year-old then finished second over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast and third to Eaglemont over 1650m at Doomben before returning there last Saturday with a nice win over 2000m. 'He has shown a lot of ability from the first day her arrived in the stable,' Hulbert said. 'He was going really well leading into his first-up run for us but he just had to go back to near last from the barrier because I didn't want to give him a gut buster first-up. 'He still ran quite well and the form has been franked by The Inflictor. 'I thought he would win two starts ago over the mile at Doomben then I galloped him on the Saturday then when the data that came back from the Equimetre came back, I thought 'crap' he is looking for 2000 metres. 'That's was how he raced so we stepped him up to the 2000 metres last Saturday and he blew them away. He had a really good turn of foot at the end of it.' Apprentice Rob Thorburn rode Zoology a treat last weekend and Hulbert had no hesitation sticking with him in the Cup and isn't concerned by the five day back-up for the gelding. 'I had no intentions of taking Rob off at all,' he said. 'He rides a bit of work for me and has had 13 rides for five wins. 'The quick back-up back doesn't concern me at all. He pulled up extremely well. 'The only query is stepping up to the 2350 metres for the first time. 'From barrier 1, he's not going to spend any petrol for the first three-quarters of the race anyway so may as well through caution to the wind and see what happens.'
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Grafton Cup the ideal chance for Bear On The Loose to end winless streak
Like his name suggests, he's been on the loose trying to snap a winning drought that's stretched for more than a year. Thursday's feature Grafton Cup presents an ideal chance to restore that winning feeling. Bear On The Loose, a tough and still lightly raced five-year-old in the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable at Randwick, hasn't won since a debut Australian win in a BM 78 Hcp over 1800m at Rosehill in June 2024. That front-running effort in heavy going came nearly nine months after his last UK start, an 85-rating win to cap three victories in four outings before he was brought to Australia with a growing staying reputation. But stop-start campaigns and frustration kicked in through the second half of last year, with Bear On The Loose placed only once in four more starts up to group 3 level. He was then spelled before returning in autumn via a series of quiet trials, and looked primed for a big prep when he was edged out by a nose first-up at Hawkesbury in a strong BM 94 over a mile. Loading Since then, though, he has beaten all but the winner in four of his five runs, including the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill and Caloundra Cup on the Sunshine Coast. Yet, Bear On The Loose has never been fitter, and better placed to claim a feature Listed country cup, and return to winning ways. Opening around $5 in betting behind early favourite Belvedere Boys ($4.20), Bear On The Loose's biggest danger could well be another British import following a similar timeline.
The Age
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Grafton Cup the ideal chance for Bear On The Loose to end winless streak
Like his name suggests, he's been on the loose trying to snap a winning drought that's stretched for more than a year. Thursday's feature Grafton Cup presents an ideal chance to restore that winning feeling. Bear On The Loose, a tough and still lightly raced five-year-old in the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable at Randwick, hasn't won since a debut Australian win in a BM 78 Hcp over 1800m at Rosehill in June 2024. That front-running effort in heavy going came nearly nine months after his last UK start, an 85-rating win to cap three victories in four outings before he was brought to Australia with a growing staying reputation. But stop-start campaigns and frustration kicked in through the second half of last year, with Bear On The Loose placed only once in four more starts up to group 3 level. He was then spelled before returning in autumn via a series of quiet trials, and looked primed for a big prep when he was edged out by a nose first-up at Hawkesbury in a strong BM 94 over a mile. Loading Since then, though, he has beaten all but the winner in four of his five runs, including the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill and Caloundra Cup on the Sunshine Coast. Yet, Bear On The Loose has never been fitter, and better placed to claim a feature Listed country cup, and return to winning ways. Opening around $5 in betting behind early favourite Belvedere Boys ($4.20), Bear On The Loose's biggest danger could well be another British import following a similar timeline.
