ROBERT Thornton is in a ‘‘stable’’ condition after suffering a terrible fall at Leicester.

The jockey was riding Cracboumwiz for his boss, Alan King, in the Dick Christian Novices’ Chase when he sustained a back injury.

Cracboumwiz appeared to be getting the better of 2-5 market leader The Polomoche, but Thornton came down in dramatic fashion at the third-last fence.

Thornton, who hails from Aldbrough St John, near Richmond, initially tried to get to his feet.

But he was taken into an ambulance on a stretcher before being shipped to Leicester Royal Infirmary Hospital.

He remained in hospital overnight and a spokesperson said: ‘‘He is in our emergency department and is stable.’’ Meally Thornton, the jockey’s wife, said: ‘‘They are waiting for the X-ray results. I don’t think it’s really serious.

‘‘He is strapped on to a backboard.

But the people at the hospital have been unable to tell me anything.’’ Leicester clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson said of the incident: ‘‘He (Thornton) was put on a spinal board before being put in the ambulance.

“All the doctor told me was that it was a suspected back injury.

‘‘He’ll have all the tests done at the hospital and he’s in good hands.’’ ■ Ferdy Murphy expressed delight after Kalahari King worked yesterday morning ahead of his eagerly-awaited reappearance in the Blue Square Handicap Chase at Doncaster on Saturday week.

Last year’s Arkle runner-up has yet to step on to a racecourse this season as he aims for a crack at the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Having been held up more than most by the cold weather, Murphy had been in doubt whether he would make the race on Town Moor.

But it is all systems go again after Graham Lee came back with positive news.

‘‘Graham rode him this morning in a piece of work and he was delighted with him,’’ said Murphy.

‘‘He’d ridden him last week and thought he might not get to Doncaster on February 6 but, at this moment, we probably will.

‘‘He had a lot of trips to Redcar beach and we got plenty of cantering into him.

“But of course that was only endurance work and he needed a bit of fast work.

‘‘I wouldn’t say he disappointed us last week, but he was very stuffy in his work, but this morning he worked really well.

“He worked with a good horse and pulled right away from him.

‘‘When Graham came back with a big smile on his face I knew everything was all right.’’