Exciting Debuchet out until Christmas after wind operation

Last season’s Champion Bumper runner-up Debuchet will not be seen over hurdles until Christmas after trainer Mags Mullins revealed her exciting youngster has had a wind operation.

The grey signed off on last season with any impressive victory in a four-year-old bumper at Limerick in April and Mullins is now aiming to have him ready to embark on a hurdling career at Christmas.

She said: “He’s had a little wind operation, which has set him back a little bit, but I’m hoping to have him ready for Christmas.

“It was only a small operation, but he had to have it done. He didn’t miss that much time as it was only a very slight problem. He’s back on the go and I think he should be ready to start back at Leopardstown."

Debuchet is a top-priced 20-1 but also as short as 14-1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Mullins added: “He’s going to start back cantering this week and we’ll take things from there.

“He was only off for about a fortnight and he was on the walker, so he didn’t miss a great deal of work either. Fingers crossed, he’s in good order again and he looks well.”

Christmas comeback for Coney Island

Eddie Harty has issued an upbeat bulletin on Coney Island, winner of the Grade 1 Drinmore Novices' Chase at Fairyhouse last season.

The six-year-old has not been seen since splitting Our Duke and Disko in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown last Christmas after a foot injury ruled him out of the spring festivals, but Harty reports him in rude health.

Coney Island: a Grade 1 winner who has an exciting profileCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

He said: "He's strengthened up very nicely over the summer and he looks great. We're looking at getting him started around Christmas time and he has lots of options. He's still a baby really, as he's only a six-year-old, and we're looking forward to him."

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