Leading jockey Lisa Allpress will be on the sidelines for an indefinite period after suffering a broken vertebra following a fall at Riccarton Park on Wednesday.

Her mount, Pretending, broke down after crossing the line in the Elmwood Trading Co Maiden (1200m), dislodging Allpress, with the fall resulting in her injury.

She subsequently underwent surgery at Christchurch Hospital on Thursday morning and her husband, Karl Allpress, said she has come through it well.

“She is in Christchurch Hospital, and she has just got out of surgery,” he said.

“She broke a vertebra in the lower back, and rods and screws have been put in there.

“The operation went well, but at this stage it will be a long road to recovery. In true Lisa fashion, she is pretty tough, and she can beat the odds most of the time.

“I will get down to Christchurch as soon as I can, but she is in the right place anyway.”

It’s been a traumatic week for the Allpress family, with Karl also having lost his father.

“We have had a week from hell because my Dad passed away and then this happens,” he said.

The injury has also put an end to a looming trip to Japan for the couple.

“Next Wednesday we were heading off to Japan for the World Jockeys’ Series,” Allpress said. “She works really hard to try and get these international invitations, and she has been lucky to get a few over the years.

“She has got a really good relationship with the JRA (Japan Racing Authority), and she has got a big fan base over there, so we were really looking forward to it.”

Allpress said his wife was looking forward to riding over spring and making her way towards the 2000-win mark, having 1948 domestic wins to her name to date.

“She is riding winners and is trying to get to that magical 2000-win mark,” Allpress said.

“She was on a really good roll, getting some nice rides and heading into the spring and building up relationships with good horses, and then this happens. But at the end of the day, I still have a wife, so that is the main thing.

“They will do further scans and x-rays and we will go from there.”