Turf Talk: Injured Reveley hoping he's done enough to clinch French crown

French-based jockey James Reveley is set to miss the rest of the year after he suffered a broken left foot at Auteuil on Sunday.
James ReveleyJames Reveley
James Reveley

Reveley is a runaway leader in the French jockeys’ National Hunt championship, which is tallied by the number of winners in a calendar year, but his campaign appears to be over after he fell from Device in the Prix Renaud du Vivier.

The jockey’s father, North Yorkshire trainer Keith Reveley, said: “He had an operation on Sunday on his foot, which supposedly went well.

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“He’s going to be OK, but he’s probably going to be out for quite a while.

“He’s had a marvellous run – he’s never really had a bad injury – but in this game you can’t keep away from injury forever.

“James is well clear in the jockeys’ championship, though, so hopefully he’s done enough to achieve his goal of winning it.”

l Mark Bradstock is keen to point Coneygree at the £1million bonus put up by Jockey Club Racecourses if the 2015 Gold Cup winner makes a successful return to action in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

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The Letcombe Bassett trainer says he would “look stupid” if he swerved the challenge to go for the King George VI Chase followed by the Gold Cup should his charge strike on Merseyside this weekend.

With riding arrangements for that Grade One contest still up in the air, Bradstock emphasised Coneygree has done plenty of work on the all-weather at home as well as a much-needed workout on turf in a recent visit to Haydock with two stablemates.

“It’s wonderful to have him back, and hopefully he can build and build and build,” said the trainer.

“I imagine he will go off in front and any softening in conditions will be a help rather than a hindrance. He never looks impressive in his work here, but he has this extraordinarily deceptive gallop.”

SOBOT’S SELECTIONS

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KEMPTON: 4.10 Miningrocks, 4.40 Fire Brigade (treble), 5.10 Leshlaa (next best), 5.40 Chessman, 6.10 Qatar Man, 6.40 ENNAADD (NAP), 7.10 Winning Story, 7.40 Timekeeping.

WARWICK: 12.35 Midnight Maestro, 1.05 Song Saa, 1.40 Lamanver Odyssey, 2.10 Top Notch, 2.45 What A Scorcher, 3.20 Yanmare, 3.50 Reel Leisure.

CHEPSTOW: 1.20 Billy Bronco, 1.50 Bramble Brook, 2.25 Bears Rails, 3.00 Present Trend, 3.30 Third Act, 4.00 A Plein Temps.

HEXHAM: 12.25 Visage Blanc, 12.55 Revocation, 1.30 Eager To Know, 2.00 Grove Silver, 2.35 Collodi, 3.10 Wyfield Rose, 3.40 Mrs Grass.

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