AS the countdown to the start of the new four-year-old maiden campaign continues, a number of riders who will be hoping to enjoy plenty of success within that division are set for their return to the saddle following spells on the side line.

Jamie Codd will make his return to race-riding at Tyrella point-to-point this afternoon, just under a month after he suffered a partially collapsed lung in a fall from Gordon Elliott’s Triumph Hurdle winner Farclas at Limerick on December 29th.

“It was a simple enough fall in Limerick. I just thought that my ribs were broken, because when I got my breath back I walked to the ambulance, but then it went downhill after that,” said the Wexford native.

“In fairness to Richie Downey who was down there, he said getting into the ambulance, ‘no, it’s your lung’.

“I have been riding out since Monday and rode in seven schooling races at Tipperary on Tuesday and all is going well,” added the former two-time champion who received the all-clear to return to race riding on Wednesday morning.

BROKEN LEG

Stephen Connor has missed the majority of the season after he suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg while schooling three-year-olds.

To compound the woes of the Galway native who is attached to the Tim Hyde team, that stable enjoyed a very successful autumn, including last month’s £270,000 Cheltenham seller Dundrum Wood, who was a winner at Rathcannon in November.

“It has been hard watching them from the sidelines during the autumn, but we have a lovely bunch of four-year-olds between what we have here and the couple that are in with Sam (Curling).” said Connor.

“All is going well with the injury. I am back riding out and schooling two weeks now. I got the all clear for that, so I have one more x-ray on February 5th and Paddy Kenny reckons that should be it spot on then.

“All going well I will be back riding in point-to-points on the second weekend in February for the four-year-olds.”

Shane Fitzgerald returned from a short spell out at Boulta last Sunday, when finishing fifth aboard a pair of five-year-olds for his principal supporter Mick Goff.

The reigning under-21 champion had suffered a cruciate ligament injury in a final fence fall from Court Glory at Borris House in mid-December, but continued to ride up to Christmas when unaware of the severity of the injury.

KNEECAP

“I tore the cruciate ligament and damaged the tendon bone beneath my kneecap in the fall.

“I was rushing to go in and ride in the next race, and sure with the adrenalin up I thought that it was just a dead leg or something and stayed kicking, but I was in agony for a couple of weeks after.”

By chance, the 21-year-old has ridden a winner for Breandán Long, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in sports injuries including the cruciate ligament, at Dowth Hall in October, and he was able to assist with the injury.

“I schooled a horse for him at Boulta before Christmas and the lad who had brought the horse down told him about the pain I was in. Breandán rang and made me call up to him. Fair play to him though, he was absolutely brilliant, and it was grand in Boulta on Sunday.”

With just eight days left before the four-year-old season kicks off, Fitzgerald was understandably keen to be back in full fitness, as Mick Goff has assembled a strong team for the spring.

“There is an exceptional bunch there in Mick’s, thank god. Everything that they seem to be doing so far has been very good. The four-year-old bunch that he has there now are all fine big horses. They are all very strong and it’s just different class to normal.

“Hopefully with a bit of luck we will have a good season and I’ll try chase this title again.”