Kinane suffers serious injuries

Chris Kinane, assistant trainer to Ian Williams, remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital after receiving a kick to the head in the parade ring at Wolverhampton last night.

The 48-year-old was in the process of legging up Jamie Spencer to ride the yard’s runner Not Amused in the Great Entertainment At Dunstall Park Handicap when he was kicked by another horse.

“Chris has sustained a serious injury,” said Williams.

“He was attended to very quickly at the track and was taken to Wolverhampton Accident and Emergency.

“During the night he was moved to a hospital in Birmingham to be operated on. He is very poorly but in a stable condition. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Spencer did not feel that he could ride the gelding after the incident, and the stewards gave permission for Not Amused to be withdrawn.

Racing was also delayed by 30 minutes awaiting the return of an ambulance, as there must be two at the track.

Kinane joined Williams’s Portway stable in 2001, having previously been the private trainer of the late Geoff Hubbard’s horses.

He saddled Strong Promise to finish third in the 2000 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and also spent a number of years working for Guy Harwood and Josh Gifford.