Paul Mulrennan column: I knew straight away I was in trouble but it could have been worse

Injured jockey Paul Mulrennan talks about a frustrating time to be on the sidelines, runners he fancies for the weekend and Frankie Dettori's appeal.

My fall on the gallops at Michael Dods’s last Saturday could not have come at a worse time.

These next couple of months are where you make your money as a Flat jockey. It’s the busiest time of the year and while we’re insured for injuries like this, it doesn’t really cover the proper money you can make during this period.

I knew I was in trouble when it happened. I was riding a two-year-old, who had raced a couple of times, and he spooked and catapulted me over his head and I landed flat on my back.

I’ve broken bones before and you just know straight away. You get the sweats and the searing pain. I broke three vertebrae but I am not in a back brace and I am not bed-ridden; I am just on painkillers which seem to be doing their job. It could have been worse.

I was in Darlington Hospital for three days and I was looked after very well from being taken in the ambulance to being discharged. I have been told to take it very easy and basically recuperate.

I don’t know how long it will take to heal, but it will be at least six weeks before I’m allowed back on a horse. My daughter Scarlett breaks up for the summer holidays now, so I’ll get to spend lots of time with her, which will be really nice, and at least she’s happy I am at home. With being cooped up at home, it means my wife Adele will have to go out and earn for both of us now!

The first thing I thought of while lying on the gallops was that I was going to miss Mabs Cross, who runs in the Sapphire Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday. I know people have talked about her as a Nunthorpe horse, but you need to take one race at a time. We can’t get carried away and we saw what happened with England in the World Cup when you start to get ahead of yourself!

It’s a Group Two race and it looks a very strong one with opponents such as Aidan O’Brien’s Washington DC, and Caspian Prince, who touched off Marsha in this race last year. I’ve spoken to Tom Eaves, who takes the ride on Mabs Cross, but he knows how to ride these quality sprinters, as we’ve seen with Tangerine Trees and Brando.

It does look the perfect race for her and we won this with Mecca's Angel before so it has been on the radar.

I’ve picked out a couple at Newbury on Saturday. I think Equilateral can repay his connections’ faith in him in the bet365 Hackwood Stakes.

I was fourth behind him when he won at Doncaster on his seasonal debut and I remember he made a real impression then, easily accounting for Foxtrot Lady, who won the big handicap at the July Festival last week. He was then pitched in the deep end in the Commonwealth Cup on only his fourth start. This obviously looks a lot easier and I’d fancy him to win.

I think Little Kim is the one to beat in the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes, following his Group Three win at Deauville, and Cookupastorm looks a great each-way price. She’s got a featherweight and won at Newbury last time.

Finally, I see Frankie Dettori is appealing against a 10-day ban which would rule him out of the King George at Ascot and the Glorious Goodwood festival.

I have to say his riding on Angel's Hideaway at Newmarket on Friday didn’t look great as he went from one side of the track to the other, nearly bringing Main Edition and La Pelosa down in the process. Would he have appealed had one of the lads come down, which was a distinct possibility?

I think the most he could hope for is having three days knocked off, but his team are going to have to earn their money.