Gift nearing return

Stayers’ Hurdle hero Iris’s Gift could make his debut over fences next month, according to owner Robert Lester.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained seven-year-old has been off the track since his memorable defeat of Baracouda at the Cheltenham Festival in March, suffering two hairline fractures of the cannonbone in August.

Lester told the Racing Post: “Fingers crossed, he will be out in a little novices’ chase somewhere just after Christmas.

“The news is all positive. He has started cantering again and it has gone okay.

“We will see how he comes on in the next few weeks, but he has done loads of swimming and walking and he will be fairly fit.”