ADAM WEDGE has been forced to sit out the Cheltenham Festival after fracturing a vertebrae in a fall last week… and still going on to ride the next day.
The Welshman will miss the plum ride on Champion Hurdle hope Silver Streak as well as Stayers’ Hurdle defending champ Lisnagar Oscar.
Wedge was unshipped at the last hurdle in a race at Newbury on Friday, and went on to ride four horses the next day at the same track.
But a scan on Monday revealed that might not have been wise and showed he sustained a fracture to his T12 vertebra.
Wedge had steered Silver Streak to his first Grade 1 when beating Epatante in the Christmas Hurdle and Evan Williams’ horse is as short as 12-1 to land another huge win in Tuesday’s feature Champion Hurdle.
He said: “It’s a hard blow to take, but it’s the way it is.
“I had the fall on Friday and stupidly rode on Saturday, not knowing it was that serious.
“I went to hospital on Sunday morning and then I went down to London on Monday for an MRI scan, which revealed the injury.
“It’s going to be hard, missing out on riding Silver Streak, but it will still be fantastic to watch him run and see how he goes.
“I’ll most definitely be cheering him on.”
Wedge hopes to be back to ride Secret Reprieve in the Grand National
Wedge now faces a race against time to ride at Aintree next month, where his potential mounts include Randox Grand National contender Secret Reprieve, who could bid to follow up his Welsh Grand National success in the world’s most famous steeplechase.
He added: “The doctors reckon I could be back in around a month.
“I’m looking at being back for Aintree, if it’s possible. That’s the aim.”
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