Popular jockey Grant Buckley has had a lucky escape from injury after falling from Risayla as the mare suffered a fatal broken leg on the home turn of the Winter Cup at Rosehill.The mare's distraught trainer Kim Waugh watched in horror as she waited for Buckley to get to his feet, knowing immediately there was little hope for the horse.Buckley quickly reassured attendants he was uninjured and walked into the mounting enclosure to spontaneous applause."I landed on the safest part, I landed on my

Popular jockey Grant Buckley has had a lucky escape from injury after falling from Risayla as the mare suffered a fatal broken leg on the home turn of the Winter Cup at Rosehill.

The mare's distraught trainer Kim Waugh watched in horror as she waited for Buckley to get to his feet, knowing immediately there was little hope for the horse.

Buckley quickly reassured attendants he was uninjured and walked into the mounting enclosure to spontaneous applause.

"I landed on the safest part, I landed on my head," Buckley said.

"The horse just snapped her leg. There was no warning, I heard the noise and she just went down.

"I hit the ground and kept rolling."

The incident took the gloss off Niwot's win in the Listed feature, his first attempt at 2400 metres.

The four-year-old is trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes and took his winning record to five from 12 starts.

None of the Hawkes team was present and it was left to Kerrin McEvoy to praise his effort.

Niwot ($4) was up running third from the outset and well out of the way of the accident with Risayla.

With Twin Wing ($10) in his usual role up front, the pace was genuine and that suited Niwot who strode to the lead in the straight.

"He drifted out on the track a bit when he got to the front on his own but he is a very promising stayer," McEvoy said.

"The extra distance helped him and he is an improving stayer.

"He doesn't have a great sprint, he works his way into his races which is why I had him up in a handy position."

Niwot beat the fast-finishing Two Towers ($41) by 2-1/4 lengths with Twin Wing a long neck away third.

Victorian mare Fairygem was the subject of some big wagers over the two days leading into the race and was sent out the $3 favourite.

But she failed to handle the Sydney way of going and finished fifth, 6-3/4 lengths from the winner.

"She kept changing strides and then just didn't make the home turn," rider Chris Munce said.

McEvoy, the retained number one rider for Darley Australia, had success with John Hawkes before going to Europe to ride for Sheikh Mohammed.

"I won the (2001) George Main Stakes on Viscount for John and also rode the horse in the Cox Plate," McEvoy said.

Viscount was an unlucky third in that year's Cox Plate which was won by Northerly from Sunline after a double protest, with both objections dismissed.