McCoy back on the Gallops

Tony McCoy was due to return to the saddle today as his eagerly-awaited comeback gathered pace.

The 12-times champion jockey has been given the all-clear by his own surgeon with the Cheltenham Festival just two weeks away.

He now just needs to satisfy British Horseracing Authority’s chief medical officer Dr Michael Turner before he can make plans to return to race-riding.

“I’ve got to see Dr Turner, but my own doctor’s very happy with it,” said McCoy.

“He (Dr Turner) may want to get an independent view of it, but I’d be hoping that the man who operated on me knows what he’s on about.

“I’m going to ride out first lot for Carl (Llewellyn) and then I’m going to Jonjo’s (O’Neill) on Wednesday.”

McCoy has been sidelined since January 12 after he suffered a back injury falling from Arnold Layne in the Classic Chase at Warwick and had surgery on a damaged vertebrae.

His therapy has been aided by kriotherapy treatment, which involves stepping into a compressed compartment, in which temperatures drop to around -130 degrees and helps improve blood circulation.

McCoy added: “It could have been a lot longer, but it’s gone pretty good. I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve had no pain with it from day one and I’ve done a lot of work in the last two weeks.”