Bryan Cooper could be out of action for around a month following his nasty fall on the fourth day of the Galway Festival.

The leading jockey was riding the Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll in the Guinness Harp Novice Chase when the pair parted company on the approach to the final fence.

Cooper did his best to keep to keep the partnership intact, but ultimately found himself unseated and sliding into the take-off board at the bottom of the obstacle.

It was later revealed the rider had suffered a partially collapsed lung, but the Irish Turf Club’s chief medical advisor Dr Adrian McGoldrick is pleased to report his injuries are not serious.

“I spoke to Bryan this morning and he was in good form,” said McGoldrick.

“He has a small laceration of his liver and a small pneumothorax, which is a partially collapsed lung, but other than that he’s fine.

“It looks like he might be out of action for around three to four weeks.”

McGoldrick believes Cooper’s injuries may have been more severe had he not been one of a handful of jockeys to be trialling an upgraded body protector.

He added: “I think the fact that he was wearing a level two safety vest has probably saved him.

“Most of the jockeys wear the level one safety vest, but Bryan, Ruby (Walsh) and Andrew Lynch have been trialling the level two and I do think that’s made a difference.

“It’s something we might try to make compulsory from January of next year.”