Jockey Freddy Tylicki sues fellow rider Graham Gibbons for £6m after Kempton fall left him paralysed

Jockey Freddy Tylicki’s £6m negligent claim against fellow rider Graham Gibbons is under way at the High Court after a fall left him paralysed.

The former flat jockey Tylicki claims Gibbons was at fault and was “dangerous in the extreme” during a fall he suffered at a 2016 Kempton race, which caused “life-changing” injuries.

The five-day long trial is to look into the fall during a mile-long race in which Tylicki claims Gibbons directed his horse, Madame Butterfly, to the running rail. This meant he cut into Tylicki’s horse Nellie Deen’s path causing the incident to occur. The claimant also says he shouted “Gibbo” to alert Gibbons and to “discourage him from persisting on his path”.

When asked when he had shouted Gibbons’ name, Tylicki said: “After I squeezed and I couldn’t get upsides him, the pressure was just building up and building up and building up, I took a pull and shouted Gibbo.

“It was a shout for survival if I’m honest because I knew what was going to happen next. But there was no response.”

Documents submitted to the court by Tylicki add: “As a professional jockey riding in a race under rules the defendant owed the claimant a duty to exercise the reasonable care towards a fellow jockey that is to be expected of an experienced high level professional jockey.

“It is averred that on the present facts the defendant failed to exercise that degree of care.”

However, Gibbons denies any wrongdoing and says it was “a racing accident occasioned by the horses coming together, as described, as they travelled at speed around the bend”.

Jockeys Ryan Moore and Jim Crowley are to speak at the trial with the latter already submitting testimony to the court. Crowley said he was apprehensive before the two horses collided in the race.

In addition, an expert for the defence Charlie Lane said if he were a steward on the day he would’ve judged the incident as accidental. The trial continues.