Maguire on the mend

Adrian Maguire revealed yesterday that he is on target for a mid-February return to the saddle. The jump jockey received a positive assessment on his latest visit to surgeon Michael Foy.

Maguire hopes to begin physiotherapy on his broken right arm towards the end of next week. "Mr Foy was very happy with the way it is coming along and I will see him again next month," Maguire said.

"There is a light cast on the arm now and I still hope to be back in action during the middle of February. At the moment I am just exercising my arm but at the end of next week I hope to start stepping things up and receive physio."

Maguire sustained the latest in a catalogue of injuries in a fall from Hurricane Lamp at Kempton over Christmas.

His target, once he returns to action, is to remain injury-free so that he can ride at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time since 1994.

Meanwhile, Keeneland is to stage the United States' richest jumps race, it was announced yesterday. The $150,000-added Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings on April 24th will be the first contest over obstacles staged at the Kentucky track.

Four European horses will receive assistance towards travel costs for the two-and-a-quarter-mile event, which is restricted to previous entrants in the Sport of Kings challenge.

It will be run over "National hurdles" which are used in most American jumps races.

At Musselburgh, a mystery punter was celebrating a £35,000 windfall after playing the lead role in a successful gamble on Stakis Casinos Boy yesterday.

The gambler lumped on £20,000 - a wager usually reserved for Cheltenham or the prestige Flat meetings - at 7 to 4 and hardly suffered an anxious moment as Stakis Casinos Boy bolted up in the Pinkie Hill Conditional Jockeys' Selling Hurdle.

Bookmakers were left severely wounded as several other four-figure bets were also recorded on the gelding. Stakis Casinos Boy was sent off 6 to 4 favourite after being available at 2 to 1 and the support always looked likely to be justified.

Ed Callaghan sent him to the front approaching the last and he quickened clear on the run-in to defeat Recruitment by seven lengths.

Stakis Casinos Boy was bought out of Mark Johnston's stable for 13,000 guineas.

Norman Williamson enjoyed a rare visit to Musselburgh with a 23 to 1 treble aboard Fern Leader, Sprung Rhythm and Sikander A Azam.

Fern Leader, who squeezed home by three-parts of a length from the fast-finishing Cottstown Boy in the Carberry Tower Novices' Handicap Chase, was providing trainer Chris Grant with a belated first success of the season.