A fund set up to help German jockey Frederik Tylicki, paralysed in a horrific four horse pile-up, has passed the $310,000 mark, organisers said yesterday.
The 30-year-old, who is based in England and had two Group One wins in a breakthrough 2016, is paralysed from the chest down as a result of the incident at Kempton Park.
A fund set up by racing journalist Matt Chapman has now passed £250,000 (280,000 euros, $310,000) to provide the basis for a trust being set up by Tylicki’s family, the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) said in a statement.
“Freddy Tylicki’s condition remains unchanged and he is still in intensive care at St George’s Hospital,” the IJF added. “The support for Freddy from the racing and wider community has been overwhelming. The IJF will continue to support Freddy now and in future for as long as our help is needed.”
Tylicki’s accident was on everyone’s mind at the European racing’s Cartier Awards on Tuesday night.
Victoria Pendleton, 2012 Olympic cycling gold medallist who switched to horse racing last season, said there is a “really great camaraderie between the riders because they appreciate every ride could be their last”.
“If you look at the odds, it’s not as dangerous as some people think. But you’d be crazy if you didn’t have a long hard think about that and it didn’t affect you.”
Italian riding great Frankie Dettori confessed to being in shock. “My thoughts are with Freddy,” said the 45-year-old quadruple Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner. “Such a young man with a great future.”
Tylicki had been leading on Nellie Deen when they came to grief resulting in champion jockey Jim Crowley being brought down along with two other jockeys.
Tylicki, son of a three-time German champion jockey, was considered the up and coming talent when he won the 2009 Apprentice championship, donating his trophy to the family of a colleague who had been killed in a fire.
He recovered from a serious shoulder injury in 2010 and regularly notched up over 50 wins a season but had to wait till Speedy Boarding won the Prix Jean Romanet in August for his first Group One triumph.