Tom O'Brien in line for Silver Streak ride with Adam Wedge ruled out

Jockey Adam Wedge will miss the Cheltenham Festival next week after sustaining a fracture to his T12 at Newbury on Friday.

Wedge won last year's Stayers' Hurdle on Lisnagar Oscar, and is expected to be replaced by Tom O'Brien on Tuesday's Champion Hurdle hope Silver Streak.

Trainer Evan Williams said: "Adam has a fracture to his T12 – he did it at Newbury on Friday and rode in four races there on Saturday. He had a couple for us at Sedgefield on Sunday but rang me in the morning and said he had a back spasm and couldn't move, which isn't like Wedgey.

"He's going to be on the sidelines for around a month and it's a shame for him to miss some big rides, but when you're dealing with your neck and back, there's only one priority. I hope Tom will ride Silver Streak as he's won on him a few times."

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On the rest of Williams' team for Cheltenham, Welsh National winner Secret Reprieve will not run at the festival, with the Grand National, Scottish National and bet365 Gold Cup among races under consideration, while Coole Cody is likely to contest the Plate and Dans Le Vent will be a first festival ride for the trainer's daughter Isabel if making the cut for the Martin Pipe.

Jonjo O'Neill jnr: aiming to be back for CheltenhamCredit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

Jonjo O'Neill Jr aiming to be back for festival

Jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr expects to be back riding at the Cheltenham Festival next week despite having not ridden since a fall at Leicester last week.

O'Neill sustained a kick to the face last Tuesday when unseating from Tidal Watch at the first fence in the 2m novice handicap chase which was the last time he had a ride in public. He has no booked rides for the coming days.

Asked whether he would be riding at the Cheltenham Festival, O'Neill said: "Yes, that's the plan and I'm looking forward to it."

O'Neill, who rode a personal-best of 61 winners last season when he was also crowned champion conditional jockey, has partnered 56 winners this season, collecting £598,850 in win and place prize-money in the process. He is tenth in the jump jockeys' championship.

The 21-year-old partnered Early Doors to victory in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the 2019 festival, and his likely rides at the meeting this year include Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle contender Soaring Glory, winner of the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month, and Annie Mc in the new Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase.

James Given: 'If we are unhappy with anything, they won't run.'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Enhanced efforts made to ensure equine safety at meeting

James Given, a vet and Royal Ascot-winning trainer who became the BHA's director of equine health and welfare in October, told a press conference on Wednesday about enhanced efforts made during the festival to ensure runners do not have any pre-existing vulnerability that could put them at risk.

"All horses that will run at the festival, their trainers are required to give us all the medication records from the January 30 right up to the day of their race, and [details of] any longer-term acting medications they've been given in the past six months," he said.

"Every horse on the morning of racing will be trotted up in the stable facilities to check their soundness. If we are unhappy with anything, they won't run.

"As we all know, professional athletes, whether human or equine, are always pushing themselves so there is a little bit of wear and tear on some animals."

Given added that trainers of horses with an unusual gait have the opportunity to share videos with the BHA's vets before racing, as a means of showing the horse is actually behaving as normal.

"When our veterinary officers look at these horses they can also request information from their vets back at home. So there's a very thorough examination of all the horses before they set foot on the grass at Cheltenham."

The Shunter (left): has multiple Cheltenham Festival entriesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The Shunter target to be left as late as possible

Emmet Mullins remains undecided as to where £100,000 bonus-seeker The Shunter will line up next week, but the talented trainer is optimistic that last week's bet365 Morebattle Hurdle hero can handle the quick turnaround to Cheltenham.

Remarkably, the Paul Byrne-owned eight-year-old is among the market leaders for the Coral Cup, Grand Annual, Paddy Power Plate, County Hurdle and Martin Pipe, with the ground set to play a part in connections' decision-making.

"He's got the five entries, but I couldn't tell you what discipline he is going to run in, let alone which race," said Mullins. "We will wait as long as we can before deciding and keep a close check on the forecast."

The extra days to recover from a demanding Kelso success could make either the County or Martin Pipe at the end of the week more tempting than the Coral Cup or Grand Annual on Wednesday.

Mullins, who revealed recent Dovecote Novices' Hurdle winner Cape Gentleman is likely to sidestep the festival, added of The Shunter: "He's as tough as teak. He seems to have a good constitution as we've backed him up a few times quickly in the past."

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