Gift could return this season

Top hurdler Iris’s Gift’s recent injury setback could be less serious than first thought.

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,” owner Robert Lester told the Racing Post. “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.