“We pray for a miracle”: Jockey Taiki Yanagida suffering brain and spinal injuries following fall

Jockey Taiki Yanagida is in critical condition following a terrible fall at Cambridge on Wednesday.

Yanagida’s mount was brought down in the final race of the meeting, leaving the Japanese jockey unconscious and in a bad way on course.

Yanagida was placed in an induced coma at the track before being taken to Waikato Hospital – the 28-year-old has since been diagnosed with head and spinal injuries.

New Zealand racing and sports journalist Michael Guerin has been providing updates on Yanagida’s condition.

“Taiki Yanagida, who was injured in race fall at Cambridge, NZ, yesterday: sadly Tiger is in a critical condition still in Waikato Hospital after doctors decided not to fly him to Middlemore last night. He has brain and spinal injuries. We pray for a miracle,” Guerin said.

Our thoughts are with Taiki and his family.

More to come.

Taiki Yanagida. Photo: Supplied via NZ Herald