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Bloomfield resumes premiership bid

3 minute read

When jockey Andrew Bloomfield felt a sickening thud to his head leaving the barriers at Berrigan on March 20, immediately he knew he was in trouble.

When jockey Andrew Bloomfield felt a sickening thud to his head leaving the barriers at Berrigan on March 20, immediately he knew he was in trouble.

His mount Up To Scale stumbled from the stalls and the 23-year-old rider's head jerked back violently after contacting the stalls.

"I was lucky not to snap a vertebra," Bloomfield said.

"I knew straight away I was in trouble. The pain was bad.

"In the end I damaged ligaments in my neck and was operated on.

"The surgeons put a plate in my neck to quicken the healing process. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time."

While convalescing, the Wagga based rider, missed the winning ride aboard Gandalf The White in the $60,000 City Handicap at Albury for his uncle, former Sydney Swans AFL star, Wayne Carroll.

To add to his woes, Bloomfield's lead in the Albury premiership also went by the wayside. Winning the Albury premiership was one of Bloomfield's major goals this season.

Bloomfield resumed at Leeton on Saturday, landing a couple of placings but on Monday at Albury he's hoping to snare a winner or two in quest of the illusive premiership.

"I won a premiership as an apprentice there (Albury) and finished runner-up in the jockeys' title a couple of times," Bloomfield said.

"Something has always kept happening and for one reason or another I've never won it. It's something I want.

"Hopefully I can rider a winner tomorrow and get back on track and make up for lost time."

Bloomfield has five rides on the seven-race program - Better Blonde (race one), Belle Henriette (race two), Phils Pride (race three), Cool Valentino (race 4) and Bromwich (race seven).

Better Blonde, trained by David Blundell at Gundagai, is rated by Bloomfield as one of his better rides.

The four-year-old mare, with five placings from 13 starts, should appreciate and insider barrier (three) Bloomfield said.

"She looks a good each way chance and deserves to breakthrough for a win," he said.

Bloomfield has two rides for Carroll - Cool Valentino and Bromwich.

"Cool Valentino won real well at Wagga (March 4) and drops back in distance from his last start. He should be thereabouts," Bloomfield said.

"Bromwich is a nice big horse who I've ridden trackwork this week.

"Robbie Griffith had him in Melbourne. He seems a horse with scope, tomorrow we should learn a bit."

"Hopefully he can show us something fresh.

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