Irish jockey Davy Russell has revealed his recovery from injury is going well and he should be back in training next week.
Russell has been on the sidelines since October after a fall in the Munster National at Limerick.
The three-time Irish champion jockey dislocated and fractured vertebrae after falling from Doctor Duffy at the first fence. He damaged his C6 and C7 vertebrae and dislocated his T1, and Russell admitted in November that he “dodged a bullet”.
Russell has recently had his neck brace removed, and he has confirmed he should be able to return to riding next week, although a competitive return is still some way off.
He told reporters: “It won’t happen this week now, but I’m hoping to be back on a horse next week.
“I’ve all the gear off now. It was hard work and uncomfortable, but that’s the way it is. Hopefully I’ll pop up to Gordon’s (Elliott) next week, and we’ll see how we go.
“We’re a long way away from that (returning to race-riding). It (the injury) is working fine on the ground, but it has to be working properly on a horse before we look too far ahead.”
