Culhane delays return

Tony Culhane’s planned return to race-riding at Wolverhampton tomorrow has been put on hold and he now intends to be back in action on Saturday week.

The jockey, who has again ridden more than a hundred winners this year, fractured an ankle and cracked a heel in a horrible fall at Lingfield three weeks ago.

The healing process has gone well, but his agent Mark Gilchrist said today: “Tony rode out this morning and felt a slight reaction to the injury, so he rang his consultant Dr Michael Foy straight away.

“Everything seemed to have gone to plan, but Dr Foy told Tony that with the type of injury he sustained it could really set him back if he returned too soon, and that as he has had a reaction to it, he advised him to give it another week.”

Gilchrist went on: “It is a pity, Tony had some good rides at the weekend, but he is a real professional and will not take any chances if he is not 100% fit and ready to do his mounts justice.

“So he is going to give it a bit more time, and he will be back at Wolverhampton a week on Saturday when he is due to ride Quito for Mr (David) Chapman in a good race there.

“Despite being off for so long he is still up there in the all-weather championship race and he will be going all out to try and peg back the leaders when he returns.”