Champion jockey Damien Oliver bounced back from a horror fall the night before at Moonee Valley to land the Listed Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington on former English stayer Drunken Sailor.

Oliver was discharged from Epworth Hospital and given a medical clearance after he crashed into the turf when Like An Eagle snapped both forelegs as he was working his way to the front 200 metres after the start of Friday night’s sprint race.

The Valley crowd feared the worst for the 39-year-old who seven years ago fractured several vertebrae which required titanium rods and screws to be inserted into his back in another fall at the track.

“I was lucky last night,” Oliver said.

“I was on my way to the front and hadn’t quite got there but if it had been another 50 metres the whole field would have gone over the top of me.

“I had no warning at all.

“I did roll a lot and that probably helped me.”

Oliver said he was discharged from hospital after three hours and that after exercising on Saturday morning couldn’t see a reason why he shouldn’t be riding at Flemington.

“I am not feeling too bad,” Oliver said.

“Being a night meeting and preparing for the day meeting I haven’t had that much chance to get sore but I dare say I will be feeling it more tomorrow.”

Drunken Sailor, who is now trained by Mike Moroney, appeared to be struggling at the 800 metres but worked into the race under his big weight of 60kg when Oliver made his move nearing the home turn.

“Most horses were off the bit before the home turn and I felt with the weight I was going well enough to come around them so elected to come back in and follow through and it really helped,” Oliver said.

“He started to travel better and got to the lead comfortably.

“He was just feeling the weight a little bit at the end when the lightweight (Our Serena) came back at him but did enough.”

Moroney took blinkers off Drunken Sailor to get him to settle better in the 2600-metre event on Saturday and is likely to keep them off for his next start in the Adelaide Cup (3200m) on March 12.

“When Ollie went for him he did quicken up nicely and it is hard to do that with that sort of weight,” Moroney said.

Drunken Sailor scored by a half-neck from Our Serena, who led most of the way, and Rowland finished third another 1-1/4 lengths back.