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Benny Woodworth is out of hospital and was even able to pay his last respects to fallen jockey Nooresh Juglall at his funeral in Mauritius on Sunday.

The two former Kranji-based riders were involved in a horror race spill in the Noble Salute Cup (990m) at the Champ de Mars racecourse on Saturday, but while Woodworth escaped with a dislocated left elbow, Mauritian-born Juglall, 29, bore the brunt of the two-horse crash, and unfortunately, later succumbed in hospital to serious injuries sustained to the head, lungs and ribs.

On the 'live' TV feed, Woodworth could be seen after the carnage looking shaken and writhing in pain, but conscious and sitting up, before he was stretchered off to the Mauritius Turf Club ambulance and conveyed to the hospital.

While the worst fears were held for the stricken Juglall, the reports available on his Malaysian colleague's condition were sketchy, until it was confirmed on Sunday afternoon that he was discharged from hospital.

Woodworth, who has ridden in Mauritius on many occasions and was even crowned champion jockey on the racing-mad Indian Ocean island in 2007, insisted on attending Juglall's wake at his Sainte Croix home before his cremation at 4pm local time on Sunday.

Not only the two jockeys have ridden against each other countless times in Mauritius, but mostly in Singapore at Kranji (Woodworth's home base) where Juglall rode with great success between 2014 and 2019.

With his left arm in a sling, the 47-year-old met Juglall's wife Chaaya and parents, but didn't go to the crematorium.

Woodworth's first thoughts went to Juglall's family, and while grateful he was still alive, he also sounded a little uncertain about the ramifications of his injury.

"First, I'd like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Juglall family. It's a real tragedy for them, especially his wife and two kids," said Woodworth who is himself married to a Mauritian with whom he has one young son (he has four daughters from a previous marriage).

"When I checked myself out yesterday, the first thing I wanted to do was pay my last respects at Nooresh's house. I'm glad I made it.

"It's a horrible accident, but I can still remember what happened. When the horse in front jumped the crossing, my horse did the same, and right at that moment behind me, Nooresh was starting to make his move for the inside run.

"When the pace slowed up and the gap closed, his horse clipped the heels of my horse and we both went down. It all happened so fast, I remember looking in Nooresh's direction after the fall, he was not moving, but I was also in pain, and had to lie down until the ambulance came.

"I have dislocated my left elbow, but I should count my blessings I'm here talking to you now. It's been a long and frustrating wait (quarantine and a long-drawn legal battle between the Club and the authorities that delayed the opening day of the new 2021 season on Saturday), and this injury is another blow, but it's nothing compared to losing your life.

"My doctors told me I may have to go for surgery, but currently, they don't have a particular prosthetic for that, and it will take a few weeks to order.

"In the meantime, I have sent my scans to doctors in Singapore for a second opinion. If they say no surgery is required, then I will just rest and hope to recover quickly, but if I do need surgery and they can do it there, I will have to consider the lengthy quarantine again.

"So, it's all a bit up in the air now. I will have a better idea what comes out of it in the coming days.

"Either way, I won't be riding for a while, which is frustrating as I already waited for 2 ½ months before I could ride, and now this happens.

"But again, all this is just part of the racing game, and I shouldn't complain too much when I'm already lucky to have just a dislocated elbow after such a nasty fall."

Racing in Mauritius resumed on Saturday (2020 season ended in December) after several postponements due to COVID-19 and mostly, a protracted power struggle between the recently-turned public listed Mauritius Turf Club Sports & Leisure and the local authorities.