POOR Mick Fitzgerald was left bloodied after an unruly horse took a bite out of his skull in a freak parade ring incident at Hereford.
The Grand National-winning jockey was helping Ben Jones get up into the saddle before the 2.30pm contest.
But cameras captured the moment 16-1 Ardmayle got wild and sunk his teeth into Fitzgerald’s forehead.
Describing the nasty incident, host Alex Hammond said: “You can see the horse has a little bit of resistance and clocks Mick on the top of his head.
“If you’re squeamish, look away, look away, because that is what happened.
“The horse’s teeth have just caught the top of Mick’s head.
“Thankfully the paramedic was there to check that all was OK.
“But yes, Mick – teeth in the forehead… that’s ruined your good looks!”
Thankfully Fitzgerald appeared fine, giving a big thumbs up to cameras as he carried on with his duties from the track.
Fitzy is a frequent member of Sky’s racing coverage and a strong part of the ITV Racing team too.
The 53-year-old Irishman won the Grand National on Rough Quest in 1996.
But it was a fall in 2008 that convinced him it was time to hand up his whip for good.
Fitzgerald broke four bones in his neck which penetrated his spinal cord when falling from L’ami at the second fence in the Aintree feature.
He then contracted sepsis when plates inserted into his spine became infected.
Fitzgerald said: “Recovering from my spinal injury wasn’t the hard part – it was the sepsis that was my biggest battle. I thought I was going to die.”
Fortunately the hugely popular rider recovered and now he continues to be a popular part of the TV coverage.
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