CONOR McNamara is recovering in a Limerick hospital following a fall in a chase at Killarney on Monday which left the jockey with five fractures in his back and neck.

His father Eric, the Co Limerick trainer, says Conor is expected to make a full recovery and does not require surgery. The trainer took the opportunity to praise Killarney Racecourse for their watering of the chase course which, he believes, played a big part in minimising his son’s injuries.

“I’d like to congratulate and thank Killarney for the wonderful ground they provided this week. They need to be applauded,” he said. “I feel strongly about this but I have been reluctant to say it before now. Some trainers complain about watering but it’s important that the safety of jockeys and horses are taken into account when tracks are being watered. If the ground at Killarney had been any firmer where would Conor be today? Thank God, his fractures are stable.

“Tracks don’t want to be watering - it takes time and money – and it is wrong to be slating them if they are doing their best. From my point of view, they did a great job. The fact that the ground was on the yielding side of good saved us.”