Noel Fehily has not given up hope of being fit to ride Kauto Star in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The jump jockey is to see a specialist this week and is optimistic the wrist he injured in a fall at Newbury on Friday is not as bad as first feared.
It was thought he might have suffered a break when taking a tumble from Rivaliste in a two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase. He was taken to Ridgeway Hospital in Swindon but because the wrist was badly swollen, X-rays proved inconclusive.
Fehily had only been given the call-up from trainer Paul Nicholls earlier in the week to replace the sidelined Ruby Walsh on Clive Smith's top-class chaser, who is seeking a record fifth successive win in the Christmas feature.
"It's not quite as bad as first thought, hopefully," Fehily told At The Races.
"When I was taken to hospital it wasn't very good, but I went back on Sunday morning and the doctor was a lot happier with it. Because it was so swollen at the time, they couldn't get a clear picture of it.
"I have to go back (on Tuesday) and hopefully I'll get a better prognosis then. I'm not really in pain. Since they strapped it up it's been a lot better, so I'm very hopeful it's not quite as bad as first thought. Straight away you are thinking how you can speed your recovery up.
"I'm very hopeful I'll be back to ride Kauto Star on Boxing Day. From what the specialist said on Sunday if we can keep it strapped up, keep the improvement and the swelling coming down, he's very hopeful he can have me back riding in two to three weeks which would be well before Christmas.
"At this time of year you don't want to be missing too much, but thankfully the weather is going to help me out a little bit!"
Posts
