Sport

Powell is now `a lot better'

The condition of Brendan Powell, who was injured in a fall at Newton Abbot last week, has shown a deal of improvement over the…

Wed Nov 10 1999 - 00:00

The condition of Brendan Powell, who was injured in a fall at Newton Abbot last week, has shown a deal of improvement over the past 24 hours.

It was initially diagnosed that that 39-year-old Powell had sustained six broken ribs, but his condition worsened over the weekend and he was transferred to intensive care at Torbay Hospital.

His agent Peter Shoemark said yesterday: "I have spoken to his wife Rachel and she said Brendan has had a good night - he is sitting up so he has improved a fair bit, basically he is a lot better.

"He has been fairly poorly, they do not put someone in intensive care for nothing, he has had tubes in draining his lungs but one has now been removed."

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Shoemark went on: "He is still in intensive care but Rachel said she was hopeful he would be out of there soon."

Lydia Pearce has decided to appeal against a six-day suspension for irresponsible riding following an incident at Doncaster on Saturday when colleague Beverley Kendall suffered head injuries.

Kendall's mount Best Of All fell and somersaulted just before halfway in Lady Riders' Championship Stakes and at the subsequent inquiry the stewards decided that Pearce's mount King Priam was to blame.

Mrs Pearce said: "We have lodged the appeal, I just want to clear my name, I don't think I did anything wrong - the last thing any amateur or professional jockey wants is for a fellow rider to get injured."

King Priam finished runner-up and initially clinched a fifth women's amateur championship for Mrs Pearce, but the gelding was subsequently disqualified and the title went to Diana Jones.

Pearce went on: "I do not care if I do not get the championship back, that is not what I am concerned about, I just want to show that I was not to blame for the accident."

Kendall's recovery from injuries took a positive turn yesterday. Jack Berry, Best Of All's trainer, said: "We have had some very good news. Beverley is waking up and if things keep going this way she will be transferred to a hospital near us in Preston in the next day or so - it really is great."