Champion apprentice jockey Joe Leavy is in intensive care following a late-night car crash near Lambourn. The 20-year-old sustained serious injuries to his collarbone and jaw after crashing his car at 1.26am on Sunday morning on a rural road, but fortunately avoided any further severe harm.

At the time of the accident, Leavy was driving with two other passengers who also required hospital treatment but have since been discharged. A representative for Thames Valley Police said: “Officers were called at around 1.26am on Sunday to Newbury Road in Eastbury, Hungerford following a single vehicle collision. The three occupants, two men and a woman, were all taken to hospital. One man remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

“The other man and the woman have been discharged from hospital. No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing.”

Leavy, who was crowned Champion Apprentice on Champions Day at Ascot in October, has been described as ‘lucky’ by his boss Richard Hannon.

Hannon said: “Joe is now off sedation and he is speaking with his family. It looks like he has suffered a collarbone and jaw injury, but he is very lucky.

“His mum is grateful that he is now out of the woods and the focus is now on helping him make a full recovery.

“His family are extremely thankful to the ambulance crew and medical team at the hospital in Oxford.”

This wasn’t Leavy’s first brush with death either. At just 16 years old, he was placed in a coma following a “bad accident”.

Trainer Hannon told Great British Racing: “He had a bad accident one winter and he was in a coma for a bit.

“He’s done his apprenticeship and it’s been quite a tough one. He’s come through the ranks and he fully deserves to be where he is today. He’s a good man and an extremely good rider.

“When your mother and father work in the same company as you do you have to keep your head down, keep quiet and not get above your station so he’s quite well managed behind the scenes by them.”