Paul Gatt is resting following his remarkable effort to stay aboard Behemoth and ride out the dual Memsie Stakes winner in Saturday’s $127,250 G3 Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
The popular South Australian jockey received a nasty blow shortly after the start when Behemoth ($2.70 favorite) began awkwardly.
Behemoth reared and then dipped out of the stalls, throwing his head back to make considerable contact with Gatt.
“He’s got a pretty sore neck and a headache,” Gatt’s manager Damien Wilton said on Sunday morning.
“To come out of it how he has so far, obviously he’ll be monitored today, but it seems lucky.”
Paul Gatt did a great job staying on Behemoth after bumping his head on the big boy at the start 😮 pic.twitter.com/kjMZtsV1Ch
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 13, 2022
Gatt was stood down from riding in the final two races at Morphettville and is understood to have little recollection of Behemoth’s eleventh-placed finish in the Spring Stakes, won by Calypso Reign.
“Basically, the horse went up in the gates and then he’s (Gatt) copped a fairly nasty whack, he was riding on adrenaline afterwards,” Wilton said.
“I think it could have been a hell of a lot worse obviously, after the race he was in a massive amount of discomfort when he was talking to David Jolly and whoever else.
“He obviously didn’t ride after the race; we’ll just see how he is within himself today and go from there.
“He was able to text me through most of the last quarter of the footy last night, which being a Carlton supporter I didn’t appreciate.”
Gatt is one of South Australia’s leading riders, winning 52 races last season.
WATCH: Calypso Reign wins Spring Stakes
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