McCoy given Cheltenham green light

Tony McCoy has won his fitness fight to return to race-riding in time for the Cheltenham Festival.

McCoy received a positive verdict on his recovery from a back injury from his own surgeon last week and has been given clearance from the British Horseracing Authority chief medical officer, Dr Michael Turner, to return to action as early as tomorrow.

“He is passed fit to ride from Saturday if he so wishes to do so,” said Dr Turner.

The 12-times champion jockey needed surgery after fracturing two vertebrae in a fall from Arnold Layne in the Classic Chase at Warwick on January 12.

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

McCoy’s rapid recovery stepped up another gear last week when he resumed work-riding for Carl Llewellyn and Jonjo O’Neill.

However, Dr Turner asked for an independent assessment from specialist Peter Hamlyn, who saw McCoy on Thursday evening.

Hamlyn’s report charting McCoy’s progress was enough to satisfy Dr Turner to give him the all-clear this morning.

“He’s in the middle of a rehab programme, but as far as we are concerned he can start to get back to race-riding from Saturday onwards,” added Dr Turner.

“He’s coming along nicely and as he’s been riding out for a while now, he can now progress to the next stage – which is race-riding.”