Racing: Azertyuiop comeback postponed until next jump season

Azertyuiop's trainer, Paul Nicholls, said "I was speaking with Mr Hales [the owner] this morning and he told me that he's OK. He just needs a bit more box rest but he will be back next season.

"There was a chance we could have raced him again in the spring but it was felt the right thing was to leave him all year and then come in next July with a full campaign next year."

However, Nicholls had better news of one-time Arkle favourite Kauto Star, who has been out of action since suffering a hairline fracture of his near hind hock in a fall at Exeter in January. The five-year-old is likely to reappear in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup there next month.

Nicholls added: "My head lad rides Kauto Star every day, he's very pleased with him and we will try to get him ready for the Haldon Gold Cup.

"With his high handicap mark there's limited options but he also has limited experience. We have to start somewhere and I do like running horses at Exeter." Stablemate Silver Birch, ante-post favourite for the Grand National before being ruled out after a setback, is unlikely to reappear until February.

Jockey Club buys gallops at Lambourn

The Jockey Club is to buy and manage the Lambourn Gallops after a private sale was agreed with current owners, the Nugent family.

The scheduled transfer date is 1 December, after which the 500 acres of public training grounds will be owned and managed by Jockey Club Estates Ltd, the Jockey Club's property and land management company.

* Wetherby, Catterick and Doncaster racecourses will award a special trophy to the leading conditional rider this season in memory of jump jockey Tom Halliday, who died after a fall at Market Rasen in July.