Gift may make quick return
Jonjo O’Neill’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner, who was expected to go novice chasing, suffered two hairline fractures of the cannonbone on the gallops last weekend and was initially believed to be out for the season.
“It’s not as bad as people have been making out,” said owner Robert Lester. “He’s in the veterinary hospital, but he’s not in plaster and will come home in the next few days.
“If he behaves himself and stays still for a week or two, we could be back in business in the not too distant future.
“Jonjo doesn’t want to make any predictions about when he’ll be back in action, but he’s definitely not out for the season.”
The popular grey missed 10 months of last season through injury and had only one preparation race before he narrowly defeated Baracouda in an epic duel for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece.
Meanwhile, promising juvenile Satchem could have his first run for Clive Brittain at Kempton on Saturday.
The son of Inchinor holds an entry in the Group Three Sirenia Stakes over six furlongs, having joined the master of Carlburg stables from David Loder after being purchased to run in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s son Hamdan.
