Expat Kiwi apprentice jockey Kelsey Hannan has been cleared of any serious injury following a fall in South Australia on Sunday.

Hannan was riding Iva Dream in the opening race at Strathalbyn when her mount appeared to clip heels 50m after the finishing line, dislodging Hannan.

She was subsequently flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and placed in an induced coma, which she has since come out of, and has been diagnosed with a stable fracture of her C1 Vertebrae.  

“Apprentice jockey Kelsey Hannan has been cleared of any serious injury following her fall at Strathalbyn yesterday,” Racing SA said in a statement.

“She has been diagnosed with a stable fracture in her C1 vertebrae and has not suffered any spinal cord damage. We anticipate that she will be released from hospital within the next 24 hours.

“On behalf of her family and the entire riding group, our thanks go to the team at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for their outstanding care of Kelsey and to the wider racing community for their messages of love and support.”

Hannan had only recently returned to raceday riding, having recovered from a broken jaw she sustained in a trackwork incident in October.

Hannan began her career in New Zealand and entered a nail-biting contest with Tayla Mitchell for last season’s New Zealand apprentice jockeys’ premiership, ending the season just one win in arrears of her rival.

Hannan followed suit with a number of other Kiwi apprentices early in the new season and crossed the Tasman to test out the waters in the competitive racing jurisdiction, and ultimately decided to remain in South Australia to further her riding career.