TOP jockey Danny Cook could be forced into an early retirement over fears that he may lose vision in his right eye.
The Cheltenham Festival winner suffered horrendous facial injuries in a fall at Market Rasen in October.
He came down on Ravenhill Road and was kicked in the face by a horse running on behind, leaving “a horseshoe print from my cheekbone to above my eye and down the side of my nose”.
Cook, 37, broke his eye socket, nose and cheekbone and needed 60 stitches – but he was back in the saddle just over a month later.
His comeback was short-lived, though, as he was unable to see out of his right eye while riding.
He has been back on the sidelines since the end of November and had originally hoped for a quick return.
But the worsening Covid-19 pandemic has meant several of Cook’s appointments with specialists have been delayed or cancelled – while surgery also poses the risk of doing further damage.
He told Sun Racing: “I’m still not any better to be honest, everything is being put on hold because of Covid. I’ve had a few appointments but things keep getting pushed back or cancelled.
“Where I fractured my eye socket and cheekbone, my eye has sunk down to the right hand side, so I couldn’t physically see out of the eye.
“When I’m bent over in the saddle, my eye naturally rotates upwards and I get completely blurred vision.
“Surgery would probably have to be the way to go. The eyelid will have to be lifted, a bit like a facelift, and then we need to get to the bottom of what’s going on with the blurred vision.
“Some nerves have probably been damaged, so I don’t really know what can happen with that situation.
“It’s all a bit up in the air and I don’t know if they can do anything. And they did warn me that if they did operate there is a chance my vision could get worse.”
Cook, who has ridden the likes of Definitly Red, Midnight Shadow and Vintage Clouds to big wins during a successful career, is keen to explore every option available to him.
But he admits he has had serious conversations with his family about hanging up his boots.
He continued: “As it is now with everyday life, my eyesight is fine. I just can’t race ride.
“Ideally you’d want to retire on your own terms but sometimes these things are forced upon you.
“The option (for treatment) is there and I will try my best to get back. But at the same time, I have had a good go at it and racing has been very good to me. I’ve got no regrets.
“Time will tell and I still have a few specialists to see before I know what needs to be done and what can be done.
“I’ve missed a big chunk of the season already, so you always have those sorts of discussions (about retirement), and unless I can ride to the best of my ability I don’t want to ride.
“If it’s the end of racing for me I’ll accept it, there is plenty more to life.”
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“I have actually tried Robbie Power’s goggles on and they didn’t help my vision. They’re like glasses, different people will need different ones. Hopefully I will have options going forward, but if it’s the end of racing for me I’ll accept it, there is plenty more to life.
“My eyelid is covering my eyeball and I’ve got complete blurred vision, so when I’m leant over in the saddle and me eye rotates upwards, I get completely blurred vision.
“Surgery would probably have to be the way to go. The eyelid will have to be lifted, a bit like a facelift, for starters and then we need to get to the bottom of what’s going on with the blurred vision.
“When I fractured my eye socked some nerves have been damaged, so I don’t really know what would have to happen with that situation.
“It’s all a bit up in the air with the blurred vision situation, I don’t know if they can do anything, and they did warn me that if they did operate there is a chance my vision could get worse.
“As it is now with everyday life it’s fine, but I just can’t race ride.
“Ideally you’d want to retire on your own terms but sometimes these things are forced upon us. The option (for treatment) is there, if I can get back I will do my best. But at the same time I have had a good go at it and racing has been very good to me. I’ve got no regrets. Time will tell and I still have a few specialists to see before I know what needs to be done and what can be done.
“I’m missing a big chunk of the season so you always have these discussions (about retirement). If there is a way I can get back then I will, but at the same time things are forced upon us. Unless I can ride to the best of my ability I don’t want to ride.
“I have actually tried Robbie Power’s goggles on and they didn’t help my vision. They’re like glasses, different people will need different ones. Hopefully I will have options going forward, but if it’s the end of racing for me I’ll accept it, there is plenty more to life.
