RACING: JOHNNY MURTAGH is to see a specialist again tomorrow after scans revealed the leading rider fractured a cheekbone in a fall at the Curragh on Sunday.

Murtagh was injured in an incident leaving the parade ring on Lottie Dod prior to the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes and gave up his remaining rides.

The jockey was in St James’s Hospital in Dublin yesterday morning, where his injury was confirmed.

The Turf Club’s Dr Adrian McGoldrick said: “I’ve just spoken to Johnny and he has confirmed he has a hairline fracture of his zygoma. That was what I thought on Sunday and it has been confirmed this morning. He will return to see his specialist on Wednesday and then they will decide what needs to be done. He will obviously be stood down until Wednesday and we will hopefully have more news after Johnny has seen his specialist again.”

Another rider in the wars on an eventful afternoon was Joseph O’Brien, who was thrown to the ground when Cristoforo Colombo came down in the Phoenix Stakes.

He, however, escaped with only soft tissue damage and was back riding out yesterday morning.

Boots Madden’s Whatever It Takes got the better of a thrilling duel with Chill to land the feature race at Ballinrobe last night, the EPS Pumps Handicap Hurdle.

The leading pair had shrugged off all rivals on the run for home but were virtually inseparable all the way up the home straight.

Chill looked to edge it a few strides from home, but Slippers Madden galvanised the 13 to 2 chance to get back up by a head.

Font Of Wisdom looked a classy recruit to the hurdling game when landing the Costello McDermott Maiden Hurdle. Dermot Weld’s 10 to 3 chance crept up the inner of long-time leader Decade Player approaching the last, and scooted clear under Paul Townend to win by five and a half lengths.