Meehan was knocked unconscious in the fall and needed 27 stitches to a gash along his jaw, but those injuries paled into insignificance when the ambulance’s manoeuvre broke his leg.

The rider - whose father has worked in the ambulance service in Northern Ireland for 30 years - has spent the summer recovering from those injuries and was aiming to return to action on the Flat, spending the last few weeks riding out again.

However, a misstep on a trampoline being used as part of his training regime has seen Meehan break his leg again, with surgery now being required.

He said: "I was just doing a bit of circuit fitness work and landed on the wrong leg and it snapped in exactly the same place as before.

"When I got out of the cast two months ago, they (doctors) told me if I break my leg again it would be a straight operation.

"I’m going on Thursday morning to have X-rays and to get my cast changed over, so I’ll know a lot more then.

"I’m absolutely gutted - heartbroken, to be fair."