In-form jockey Ryan Maloney will miss the holiday period meetings after being injured in a fall at Doomben.

Maloney was tossed from The Socialist after the horse stumbled about 200m past the line after winning Wednesday’s Class Three Handicap.

It originally appeared Maloney had escaped serious injury as he was able to walk back to scale.

But after he complained he was having problems breathing he was taken to hospital for observation and X-rays.

Maloney’s manager Glen Courtney said it was later determined Maloney had four broken ribs and a punctured lung.

“He is in a fair bit of pain and he will obviously miss some weeks,” Courtney said.

Since moving from Victoria to begin riding in Queensland at the beginning of the season, Maloney has ridden 58 winners and is second on the metropolitan premiership with 25.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FOR PAIR
Jockey Ben Melham and apprentice Nathan Punch have both been suspended for an incident at Caulfield which forced Georgina Cartwright to severely check her mount.

They were both outed for the incident in Wednesday’s 1000m-race in which Punch finished third on Beaverbrook and Melham fourthaboard From The Clouds.

As Melham was shifting out to get a run to the outside of runner-up Left Jaybee Out, Punch was shifting in with Cartwright aboard Roddandtodd sandwiched between the pair.

Racing Victoria stewards said both jockeys contributed to the incident. Punch starts his suspension immediately and can return for the Boxing Day meeting at Caulfield while Melham rides at Flemington on Saturday and is back for Moonee Valley on December 29.

Mark Zahra was outed or eight meetings for his winning ride on Royal Performance in a 1400m-race after being found guilty of pushing out near the 250m mark. His ban also starts after Flemington on Saturday and he can return on December 31.