BRITISH RACING:NICKY RICHARDS reported Monet's Garden to have had a "steady night" as the horse continues to battle for his life.

The bold-jumping grey, who turned 13 on New Year’s Day, is critically ill after suffering an infection in a foot which has also signalled the end of his racing career.

“There’s no news at the moment, but I suppose no news is good news,” the Greystoke handler said.

“He seems to have had a steady night again. There has been no deterioration, but there has been no improvement either, unfortunately.

“We don’t really know how it happened. He didn’t go lame all of a sudden and he just gradually deteriorated over a period of about a week or 10 days.

“As everybody knows, he’s a very brave and honest horse, so he’ll be trying to help himself as much as we’re trying to help him.

“Every day is vital now and the last thing anyone wants is the old horse to suffer.

“We have been absolutely inundated with well-wishers and several people have kindly made some helpful suggestions. It’s a hard game but within the industry I couldn’t believe the affection there has been for the old horse.

“I’d like to thank the vets, they have been very good, and Caroline (Blackiston) especially, who has done everything possible to help the horse.”

Monet’s Garden won three Grade One races and boasted a remarkable strike-rate of 17 victories from 32 races, including when claiming the scalp of Kauto Star in the 2007 Old Roan Chase. He earned his popularity with characteristically gritty and bold-jumping performances.

*Silver By Nature has been switched to Michael Scudamore's yard in Herefordshire to put the finishing touches on his Coral Welsh National bid.

The grey’s trainer Lucinda Russell has been struggling to keep her string in peak condition due to the difficult weather conditions in Scotland and, as a result, has moved her stable star further south.

He is situated at Scudamore’s yard, whose father, Peter, is Russell’s partner, until the big race at Chepstow on Saturday, in which he finished second last season.

“We’d love to win the Welsh National and in Silver By Nature we’ve got the kind of horse that can do it.

“They’ve got rain forecast at Chepstow and the ground will be heavy and that’s exactly what he needs,” Russell said yesterday.