FOX OP COSTS HIM ARTHUR SEAT
GRaND NaTiONal-winning jockey Derek Fox faces six weeks on the sidelines after an operation in Edinburgh today for a disc problem in his back.
The irish-born jockey’s absence from the track means he will miss the long-awaited return of One For arthur, his partner when successful at aintree in 2017.
Fox made the decision to take action after the pain became unbearable when winning on le Frank at hexham last Wednesday. he has not ridden since.
Fox said: ‘My back has been sore for a while and i had it looked at properly on Thursday.
‘it is a slipped disc in the bottom of my back and i need a small operation. i have been riding for a couple of months without getting anything done about it but the pain got worse at hexham and i had to stop.
‘it’s a bad time of year for it to happen but that is how it goes. i have been told i should be back in roughly six weeks if it all goes well.’
One For arthur sustained a leg injury when winning the Grand National 18 months ago and has not raced since. The comeback race for the lucinda Russelltrained horse is likely to be the Many Clouds Chase at aintree on December 8.
he also has an entry in the becher Chase run over the National fences on the same day.
if the ground is too quick to risk One For arthur that day, there is an option to run at Cheltenham the following Friday.
Russell’s condition jockey blair Campbell rides her three runners at Musselburgh this afternoon, though Tom scudamore, the son of Peter scudamore, Russell’s assistant and partner, appears to be in pole position to ride One For arthur on his comeback if available.
Meanwhile, Might bite’s trainer Nicky henderson has given his chaser a clean bill of health but said he needs to rebuild the gelding’s jumping confidence after he finished last of five behind bristol De Mai in saturday’s betfair Chase at haydock.
henderson conceded last year’s King George winner Might bite’s normally fluent jumping ‘went to pieces’ when faced with bigger and stiffer fences than expected. haydock’s fences attracted some criticism and were branded ‘unfair’ by the gelding’s jockey, Nico de boinville.