Dundee making good progress

Leading Irish novice Nick Dundee, who was badly injured in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival, is making good progress. Edward O'Grady's seven-year-old, who started 5 to 4 favourite for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and was already considered a live Cheltenham Gold Cup prospect for next year, crashed heavily at the third from home.

Nick Dundee was immediately taken to Lambourn's Equine Valley Hospital and an injury to his near-hind fetlock - which involves soft tissue and ligament damage - was diagnosed. He also has an avulsion chip fracture, which is caused by a piece of bone being pulled away as the ligament was torn.

Paul Ferguson, one of the vets involved, said: "Nick Dundee is good this morning after a very comfortable night and he is weight-bearing on the injured leg, which is heavily bandaged.

"We are very happy with his progress. He has come through the critical period well.

"We will have a discussion with Mr O'Grady and the owners' vets before deciding on the next course of action but he will be staying here for a good few days yet.

"The horse has taken everything well. He is bright and happy and looking out of his box - he's an absolute Christian."

However, doubts still remain over Nick Dundee's racing career.

Ferguson added: "We don't expect to see a great deal of change in his condition. It will be a long and gradual recovery period and it will be quite a time before you can say whether or not he will be able to race again."

Teeton Mill's racing career also remains in the balance after the Venetia Williams-trained grey sustained a serious injury at the Cheltenham Festival.

He suffered tendon damage and was pulled up before the ninth fence in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Clerk of the course Philip Arkwright reported that Teeton Mill had slipped the tendon off his off-hind hock. The horse was strapped up before being despatched to Williams' vet Liam Kearns.

"I haven't seen him today but I understand he is comfortable," Williams said. "He will remain at the veterinary surgery for the time-being.

"X-rays have been taken and they are clean."

Tote Gold Cup winner See More Business is likely to have one more outing this season - in the Martell Cup at Aintree's Grand National meeting.

The nine-year-old paraded in front of 300 well-wishers at Ditcheat in Somerset yesterday along with trainer Paul Nicholls' other Cheltenham Festival winners Call Equiname and Flagship Uberalles.

Nicholls said: "See More Business has come out of yesterday's race in very good order and the Aintree race is likely to be next.

"If he doesn't run there he will be put away for the season as that's the only race left for him. He will again run in blinkers at Liverpool as they helped him at Cheltenham and Mick Fitzgerald will ride him again as long as he's available."

Call Equiname is also heading to Aintree for the Mumm Melling Chase following his win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Flagship Uberalles will join him at the meeting.

Liam Cummins (20) from Co Kildare partnered his 13th winner of the season when Takethetopoff produced a 40 to 1 shock in the opener at Folkstone yesterday for trainer Jeff King.