ELBOW AGONY FOR TWISTON-DAVIES

SAM Twiston-Davies faces a spell on the sidelines after fracturing an elbow in a fall at Sandown on Sunday.

The absence of his No1 jockey means trainer Paul Nicholls will hand extra rides to Sean Bowen, Harry Cobden and Bryony Frost at this week’s three-day Cheltenham fixture.

There is also a possibility the injury could impact on the call-up of Cobden, who stood in for his injured colleague at Kempton yesterday, for Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday week should Nicholls now need him to cover for TwistonDavies at Ascot on the same day. Twiston-Davies (left) was injured when unseated from Double Ross on Sunday but rode in the subsequent Bumper and was only aware of a problem when he woke up in pain. X-rays showed a fracture of his olecranon. He hopes to be back in time for Newbury’s Winter Carnival on December 1-2.

Nicholls, who leads the trainers’ championship, said: ‘If Sam can’t ride we’ve got Sean and Harry as a good back-up team.

‘They have done the job before but it is frustrating as Sam is riding well.’

Nicholls has two runners in Saturday’s feature BetVictor Gold Cup. Barry Geraghty is likely to ride JP McManus-owned Le Prezien with Cobden or Bowen on Romain De Senam.