SAMMY Jo Bell was out of luck on her first two rides back from serious injury at Wolverhampton this week – but was still delighted to be back in action.

The Malton-based apprentice jockey had to spend several weeks in a wheelchair after undergoing a pelvic operation following a heavy fall at Carlisle last May.

Bell was unseated when her mount reared up and then fell on top of her on the way down to the start.

And while initial examinations suggested Bell had escaped serious injury, it later transpired she required surgery.

She returned to work riding at Richard Fahey's Malton base in early January and had two rides for him at Dunstall Park.

While neither Boogie Babe nor Miss Goldsmith were competitive in their respective races on Monday, Bell was nevertheless pleased to get her comeback rides under her belt.

"Everything went well, just as I'd hoped it would," Bell said. "I've had two months of riding out in the morning – up to eight lots a day – but obviously race riding is a bit different.

"I've been doing a lot of work with Kevin Darley (jockeys' coach) and all the people at Jack Berry House have got me as fit as possible.

"It's just a case of building everything back up to where I was before my injury now – contacts and everything else – but it was important I got the ball rolling again so hopefully I can kick on from here.

"The first day is the most important and thankfully it went well – apart from not winning!"