Derby hero Munro faces bleak future

Alan Munro winning with Dutch Art at Royal Ascot in June
14 April 2012

Derby winning jockey Alan Munro is facing up to the bleak possibility that his career may be put on hold for a year or longer on medical grounds. He may never ride again.

Munro, who triumphed at Epsom on Generous in 1991, has not ridden since suffering convulsions shortly after take-off in a light aircraft ferrying him to France to ride at Deauville on August 20 this

year. When the pilot declared a medical emergency the plane was diverted to Cambridge, from where an ambulance took Munro to Addenbroke's Hospital. He was released later that day. The incident has proved to be a cruel blow for Munro, who made an inspired comeback last season after a number of years in the wilderness. At the heart of his revival was a series of popular victories on the hardy old stayer,

Serjeant Cecil. But Munro will not be partnering the Serjeant in Paris today when he runs in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp. Since that fateful flight, he has been forced to watch impatiently on the sidelines pending an independent specialist's report which is expected to reach HRA chief medical adviser Dr Michael Turner soon. Turner will brief the licensing committee, who will decide Munro's fate. The signs are not encouraging. Under strict medical guidelines at the

HRA, the standards of fitness set down for jockeys are the same as those for LGV drivers. Crucially, this requires no evidence of black-outs in the previous 10 years and no use of medication.

Munro has a history of convulsions going back to a fall at Redcar in 1990.

He was also forced to miss a year in Hong Kong after another fall in the tunnel under the track during morning work at Sha Tin in 1996. Four years later he took a sabbatical to hone his skills at karate in Japan.

Munro, 39, was just off to a karate session in Cambridge when we spoke yesterday morning. He sounded in good spirits but was understandably reluctant to go into details of his case. He said: 'Obviously, it is a difficult situation for me at the moment while I'm under medical review. That's why I don't really want to comment on when I expect to be riding again. At least I'm back into karate and I'm getting a lot of pleasure from it.'

Dr Turner was also keeping his cards close to his chest. 'Alan is in a bit of a

rush to get a decision because he has been having a successful season. He doesn't want to think we're just sitting on this. I've explained to him that we can't rush something that might not turn out the way he hopes. 'One thing for sure is that this case is going to be reviewed by a number of different people before there is a final solution. I have an open mind. The decision will not just be at the whim of the HRA's medical adviser.'

The torment for Munro has been heightened by missing a number of

recent high profile winners on horses such as Dutch Art and Serjeant Cecil.

The Serjeant's Rod Millman is one of many trainers anxious to

see him back in the saddle. He said: 'Alan has been brilliant for me. We clicked from the start of last season and I can't wait to see him riding my horses again.'

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