Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy has seven rides today, including Retrieve, Disputes and Palomares, but it looked for a while this week like he wouldn't manage any of them after a spell of unlucky incidents.

First was a fall from his mount which threw him off during trackwork at Warwick Farm on Tuesday and kicked him in the back.

The jockey was concerned he may have damaged the vertebrae he broke last year, but scans revealed deep bruising.

He took to using a hyperbaric chamber to speed up the healing process, and returned to ride Golden Slipper hopeful Helmet in a crucial barrier trial at Randwick yesterday.

But the colt reared in his stall and became cast so had to withdraw from the trial, and is now questionable for the Slipper.

McEvoy said he was looking forward to riding Retrieve today.