Zemsky: one of two winners for Derek O'Connor at Cheltenham last year
PICTURE: Getty ImagesDerek O'Connor out of festival with broken leg
LEADING amateur Derek O'Connor has broken his left leg and will miss the Cheltenham Festival.
O'Connor, who made his festival breakthrough last season with Zemsky and Chicago Grey, was in Scotland to ride two horses for Ian Ferguson but took a heavy fall from Simonsberg in the hunter chase.
The horse was fatally injured and O'Connor was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after the fall where x-rays showed that he had broken his left femur.
O'Connor said on Friday morning: "Unfortunately the x-rays showed up a break to my left femur. I might be getting an operation later today, it just depends on what the specialists say. It's disappointing obviously and I'm probablylooking at 8-10 weeks out of action."
Ireland's champion point-to-point jockey will miss the Cheltenham Festival, Irish Grand National meeting, Aintree Grand National meeting and is also likely to be out of action for the Punchestown festival at the end of April.
The point-to-point season concludes on Monday, June 4.
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