Geraghty passed fit for lavish book of Aintree rides

Barry Geraghty, who missed the Cheltenham Festival after a fall at Kempton last month left him with a punctured lung and six broken ribs, has confirmed he will be back for next week’s Randox Health Grand National meeting with a return to the track pencilled in for Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Results from a crunch MRI scan on Tuesday morning have confirmed his fitness for a lavish book of Aintree rides that includes Buveur D’Air, Defi Du Seuil, Unowhatimeanharry and potentially Cause Of Causes or More Of That in the next Saturday’s Grand National.

"I got the results of my scan this evening and, thankfully, everything came back clear and I'm good to go,” Geraghty told At The Races on Thursday evening.

He added: "I knew that I was fine, the lungs and the ribs have responded well. I have been working away around the place at home and I have been riding out. I rode work on Cause Of Causes on Wednesday and I'm off now to school More Of That on Friday morning. Even so, it was still a big relief to get the okay.”

JP McManus’s number-one jockey was sidelined after a fall from Charli Parcs at Kempton on February 25, causing him to miss Cheltenham’s four-day extravaganza where his services would have been in high demand.

Geraghty said: "It was obviously a big shame to miss out on Cheltenham, but I'm delighted to get back now in time for Aintree, and to be able to look ahead to Fairyhouse and Punchestown.

"I hope to have my first rides back at Fairyhouse on Sunday. Thanks to everyone who has helped me over the last few weeks. I'm just really looking forward to getting going again.”