Cheltenham winner Kennedy breaks leg for third time in a year

Jack Kennedy has broken a leg for the third time in under a year after it was confirmed he had fractured his left femur in a fall at Punchestown on Wednesday.

The latest break is more serious than his first two when he broke his right fibula twice in just over a month.

The 18-year-old, who celebrated his first Cheltenham Festival winner on Labaik in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in March, was riding Bobbie's Diamond in the novice chase when they came down at the last fence.

Dr Bernard Healy, the Turf Club medical officer at the track, said: “He has almost certainly fractured his left femur and has been taken to Naas General Hospital for further examination.

"We will know more later but it is almost certainly fractured.”

Kennedy fractured the fibula in his right leg in a fall at Downpatrick last September and rebroke the leg in a fall on his first ride back in a juvenile hurdle at Thurles the following month.

The former pony racing champion joined Gordon Elliott, who gave him his first rides at the age of 16 with his talent quickly established in the last two years.