Williamson injured

Injury struck again for unlucky Norman Williamson at the Galway Festival yesterday afternoon when the freelance was concussed after a fall over hurdles, writes Ian Davies.

Deputising for John Shortt, who could not do the weight on the Jessica Harrington-trained Pingo Hill in the Dawn Milk Handicap Hurdle, Williamson was catapulted out of the saddle when the four-year-old clipped the top of the second hurdle.

Eventually back on his feet and helped away by first aid personnel limping on his left leg, Williamson was later grounded for a week by the course surgeon Michael Little who explained: "Norman is suffering from mild concussion as well as a pain in the back of his neck, and we have advised him to get an X-ray."

Williamson was just one of two casualties during the early jumping races on the final afternoon of the six-day Galway meeting. Francis Woods had successive falls at the second last fence on Arthur Moore's pair Bobsville and Timely Affair. Woods escaped unscathed from the first incident, but had a badly bruised left leg when falling on Timely Affair amid a four- horse pile up.