SHANE Prendergast was fitted with a back brace this week which he will wear for the next three months. The 19-year-old had the brace fitted in Dublin’s Mater Hospital but he is back in Tullamore Hospital this weekend.

Prendergast suffered bruising to the brain, two fractured vertebrae and a fractured sternum in a riding accident at Ballingarry point-to-point last month. “Shane continues to make a slow but steady recovery,” reported Turf Club medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick.

High-profile jump jockeys Barry Geraghty, Jack Kennedy and Johnny Burke continue to work towards their return to the saddle. Geraghty, who broke his arm at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting, is aiming to come back in time for the Galway summer meeting.

Burke hopes to resume riding within a couple of weeks, having been off since February with a shoulder problem. Kennedy will be out until September with a broken leg.