Racing: Dunwoody confident of swift return

NURSING a broken bone in his right hand sustained at Uttoxeter last Saturday, Richard Dunwoody said yesterday that he will relaunch his jockeys' championship challenge next week.

Yesterday Dunwoody had his lead whittled to 14 by a Peter Scudamore success at Exeter and saw a specialist at the Ridgeway Hospital in Swindon. 'It's a fracture of the fourth metacarpal,' Dunwoody said. 'I'll give it rest for a week and aim to be back on Tuesday or Wednesday, for Sandown or Ascot.'

Despite being in some pain, Dunwoody was in action on Monday but gave up after just one ride at Fontwell on Tuesday to have an x-ray examination which established that he had broken a bone. He is due to partner Wont Be Gone Long for Nick Henderson in the Grand National on Saturday week.

Jeff Penza becomes the latest overseas jockey to parade his talents on British turf at Doncaster today. The 21-year-old Australian partners the Clive Brittain- trained Alflora in the Doncaster Mile. Penza was snapped up by Brittain as a stand-in for Michael Roberts when the South African rides for his main retainer, Sheikh Mohammed. 'I watched him in Australia and was impressed,' Brittain said.