Thornton gets all-clear to resume

Andrew Thornton expects to be back in action next week after five weeks on the sidelines with a broken arm.

The jockey damaged his left arm in a final-fence fall from Manawanui at Kempton on February 2.

Thornton was expected to be out of action for six weeks, but he has made a quicker-than-expected recovery.

“I’m all fixed, put back together very neatly, and I’m fresh and raring to go,” he said yesterday.

“It’s gone perfectly from day one. Although you hope to be back as quick as this, you never know for certain how long it’s going to take.

“I had some X-rays done this morning and the doctor was very pleased with them and surprised how quickly I’d recovered.

“I’ll be back at the beginning of next week.”

Thornton’s early return means he will be able to resume racecourse action ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, which begins a week on Tuesday.

He is set to partner Kingscliff in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.