Jockey Adrian Maguire is doing well after surgery on his neck injury according to trainer Ferdy Murphy.
Maguire, who rides as retained jockey for the Middleham trainer, broke a bone in his neck in a fall from Luzcadou at Warwick on Saturday.
The jockey is expected to be out for at least three months with the injury and he misses this week's Cheltenham Festival where he was due to ride Gold Cup hope Florida Pearl for Willie Mullins.
Maguire underwent surgery on his neck last night and Murphy reports that all went well.
Murphy said: "He's in much better form. I saw him today and he was very positive given everything that has happened and he was giving me instructions for how the lads should ride the horses this week.
"He's looking ahead now and the operation went fantastically.
"Normally after this sort of operation they put a cage on you, but the plate they put in has gone so well that they haven't put a halo on. That makes him a lot more comfortable and more mobile."
PA