Racing: Tony McCoy stresses he will not return to the saddle unless he is at the top of his game - despite the Cheltenham Festival looming large on the horizon.
Although the champion jockey hopes to be given the thumbs up from BHA medical advisor Michael Turner next week, he acknowledges the serious nature of his back injury.
But McCoy, who fractured two vertebrae when parting company with Arnold Layne at Warwick on January 12, continued his path towards a pre-Festival comeback when riding out for Jonjo O'Neill on Wednesday morning.
"The recovery is going well and everything seems to have gone OK," said McCoy. "I would obviously like to ride as soon as possible but that is down to Dr Turner, and he doesn't seem too keen on me returning too soon before the Festival.
"I will hopefully sort it out in the next few days but I will not return if I am not OK — I am a bit mad but I am not that mad!
"I rode 20 horses at Jonjo's this morning and I felt fine, and I'll have a go schooling tomorrow."
McCoy hopes to be back in the plate by the middle of next week to acclimatise himself ahead of the Festival.
He added: "I am not just keen to get back because it is Cheltenham.
"Every time I am injured I like to think I can get back at the best possible time and normally I have been very quick at returning from injury.
"I need to ride before Cheltenham but it is not my choice when to come back. I can only do what I am allowed but you do need to have a certain amount of race-riding.
"It doesn't affect me too much but I need to have some race-riding before Cheltenham to be fair to the people I'm riding for."