Leading Queensland jockey Michael Cahill will be out of action for at least a month with tests confirming he has a fractured right foot.
Cahill won Group One races on The Bostonian during the Brisbane winter carnival and was voted Queensland's jockey of the year.
He has started the new season in great form to be second on the metropolitan premiership.
He withdrew midway through the Sunshine Coast meeting on Friday night.
An X-ray on Saturday confirmed he had a fracture high up on his right foot.
“I hurt it in the barriers at Murwillumbah (Oct 15) the day after I came down in a fall at the Doomben Monday meeting. I decided it wasn't too bad and rode on for the next ten days,” Cahill said.
“But I bumped it again at the Sunshine Coast and I couldn't ride on.
“I've been in the wars a bit of late but hopefully I won't be out too long,” he said.
“But it looks like at least a month.”
Fellow jockey Ryan Maloney hopes to be back soon with scans on an injured knee showing no major structural damage.