Top Australian jockey Darren Beadman is out indefinitely after suffering a relapse during his rehabilitation from head and facial injuries he suffered in a fall at Sha Tin in February.

Beadman was thrown heavily into the ground when his mount broke down in a barrier trial at Sha Tin and sustained a fractured cheek bone.

Doctors later discovered that Beadman had also received damage to his brain which resulted in dizziness and loss of balance.

Beadman had been making slow progress but was readmitted to hospital late last week after a serious relapse during a treatment session.

“They had me sitting upright on a mattress and then quickly lying back, a sort of simulation of the fall, and my body memory just kicked into gear and it all happened over again,” Beadman said.

“My brain seemed to remember everything that it had been through and just lost it. My balance went again. I was dizzy and I was a very sick boy last Thursday.”

Naturally Beadman was very concerned with the setback and was starting to feel it emotionally as well and had developed a stutter in his speech.

“I felt I was back where I had started and that was getting me down. I’m better today and definitely better mentally,” he said.

“The doctor told me the stuttering was caused by anxiety. It’s an emotional, mental thing rather than a part of the brain injury, and he told me that would go.”

Beadman has come to terms with the fact that he will be out of the saddle for a long period and has to rely on a complete recovery which the doctors can’t put a definite time on.

Plans to operate on his fractured cheek bone remain on hold with doctors unwilling to anaesthetise him in his current condition.

Beadman was originally told before the complications set in that he would be right to ride in March but will now miss the Dubai World Cup meeting and the rich Hong Kong Derby carnival.