Incident That Left Jockey Paralyzed Was ‘Completely Avoidable,’ Veteran Racing Analyst Tells High Court – Horse Racing News

Testimony in the paralyzed jockey Freddy Tylicki’s lawsuit against Graham Gibbons continued on Thursday in London’s High Court, with veteran racing analyst Jim McGrath revealing that he believes the incident was “completely avoidable,” according to The Sun.

Tylicki, a former champion apprentice, has been confined to a wheelchair since a racing incident at Kempton in October of 2016. The 35-year-old has filed a £6 million (about US$6.77 million) lawsuit against jockey Graham Gibbons, with Tylicki alleging that rider’s negligence breached the “duty of care” owed by one jockey to another.

Gibbons denies the charges.

Tylicki took the stand earlier this week to relive the moment of his life-altering injuries, watching video of the incident from multiple angles. Similar video was shown in court on Thursday, with McGrath singling out a specific point at which Gibbons’ actions affected the incident.

“I don’t think there is any question that Mr. Gibbons had the opportunity to correct his horse,” McGrath said. “My experience as a race reader and commentator and my knowledge of the rules and, crucially in this incident the length of time it took to unfold and the position of the incident in this race, are all important matters.

“Putting that all together – to me it was a completely avoidable incident.”

The trial continues.

Read more at The Sun.