Peter Niven, out of action with a broken neck since a fall at Sedgefield in early December, can return to action on a winning note at Doncaster tomorrow.
The Malton jockey teams-up with Pennys Pride in the Jack Snipe Mares' Only National Hunt Flat Race and Mary Reveley's charge, unbeaten in two starts, looks poised to complete a hat-trick.
Niven, who requires only 26 more winners to become only the sixth jump-jockey in history to reach 1,000 successes, sat on a horse yesterday for the first time since his serious accident, which had come close to leaving him paralysed.
His public return tomorrow, in a Flat race, will be followed by a spin over jumps at Market Rasen on Friday. Depending on how he gets on, there is also a strong possibility that he will be in line to partner Reveley's Gold Cup hope Brother Of Iris in Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Kempton.
Pennys Pride looks an ideal mount for Niven's comeback. Sure to be sent off a hot favourite, she can provide her jockey with a memorable victory.
Norman Williamson, who rode five winners at Warwick last Saturday, makes the journey to Doncaster for several fancied mounts including Zahari, who contests the Canaliculatus Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
Venetia Williams' four-year-old deservedly got off the mark at his fourth attempt at Haydock last time when winning by a distance on heavy ground.
Williamson can also capture the featured £10,000 Tote Lady In Red Showcase Handicap Hurdle on Jamaican Flight.
This habitual front-runner, trained by Sue Lamyman, is a difficult horse to beat, either on the Flat or over timber, when he's in the mood. And there was much to like about his latest effort at Market Rasen when he went down by only three-quarters of a length to Tashreef, to whom he was conceding 17lb.
Skillwise should not be overlooked in the D.A.D. Novices' Chase. Tim Easterby's gelding was pulled-up at Ayr last time, but the ground was heavy that day and he will be much better suited by tomorrow's good going. Lorcan Wyer has the mount.
Wyer can also take the Liberty Bells Novices' Handicap Chase on B The One.
At Ludlow, Maybeseven is awarded the nap vote in the Sara Hamilton-Russell Memorial Handicap Hurdle over three-and-a-quarter miles. The lightly-raced six-year-old gained an easy win over this marathon distance at Huntingdon last time. A double looks on the cards here.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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