Racing: Recovering Maguire in good spirits

Adrian Maguire made his first public appearance at the Lambourn open day since suffering a serious neck injury three weeks ago.

Maguire, accompanied by his wife Sabrina, looked in good spirits despite having to sport a halo brace, which he has to wear all the time for two months.

The jump jockey had two operations to repair a fractured vertebra in his neck and a puncture in his spinal cord. He is back with his family at his Faringdon home.

‘‘It’s coming along very good,’’ Maguire told the Racing Channel this afternoon.

He is though expected to make a full recovery following his fall from Luzcadou at Warwick.

‘‘He’s able to walk around and he’s pretty mobile,’’ said Mrs Maguire.

‘‘He’s been lucky so we’ll have to go along with that.

‘‘With any jockey’s wife this is what they were doing when we met them and you can’t stir yourself every day they go out.

‘‘I think the timing of his accidents has been worse than his actual run of injuries. He tends to pick the busiest time to get hurt.

‘‘He has to wear the brace all the time. His sleep is getting better. For the first few nights he didn’t get any sleep at all. That was the hardest bit. He sleeps sitting upright. It’s getting better and I’m getting used to it.’’