Leading Jockey in Induced Coma
- Wednesday, 05 August 2009 00:00
Bates fell heavily at around the 600m mark on the oil-based surface and has since been diagnosed with a fractured skull.
Medical assistance was quickly administered to Bates and he was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital promptly after the fall.
Doctors now plan to take Bates out of his induced coma on Friday afternoon.
"We are quietly optimistic but not overly optimistic - given David is an elite athlete and very tenacious young man," Royal Darwin Hospital general manager, Len Notaras, told Northern Territory News today.
"We will hope that towards the end of the week we will be in a lot better position to say whether he is going to recover."
The fall from Rose Marie was Bates' second in a week.
Last Wednesday, Bates fell from Wonsok in the $15,000 Shenannigans 0 - 76 Handicap (1600m) at the same venue.
Fellow riders Scott Sheargold and Stephen Ridler were also brought down in Wonsok fall.
Sheargold suffered a broken collarbone, while Ridley rode under duress to win the $150,000 Carlton Draught Darwin Cup (2000m) aboard Activation on Monday.
Bates was able to ride Gallium in last Saturday's feature race, the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) however finished in seventh position.
A race later he fell from Rose Marie.