Alner to have neck operation after car crash

The Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer is still outlining running plans for his horses despite serious accident

Robert Alner is to have an operation to realign a broken bone in his neck after being involved in a car crash on Thursday morning. The Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer was trapped in his Peugeot 406 after colliding with a telegraph pole near Sturminster Newton and his Droop yard in Dorset.

Firefighters cut him free from the wreckage and he was taken to Yeovil General Hospital before being airlifted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

Andrew Thornton, who has long been associated with Alner, said on Thursday morning: “He was supposed to have the operation last night but he didn't. He's having it this afternoon and Sally (Alner, wife) is going up to the hospital later on. From what I can gather, not a lot has changed overnight. Sally told me he has broken a bone in his neck and he needs the operation to realign it. It's a pretty serious operation.

“It happened yesterday morning and Sally has said that his head is fine as he was telling her what horses to run, so he knew what had happened which is a good thing.”

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article2842534.ece