Peter Niven has delayed his return to the saddle after a "setback", he revealed today.
The long-serving Scots-born jockey, on the sidelines since he broke a bone in his neck at Sedgefield in early-December, had hoped to start riding out this week.
But he said this morning: "I'm going for some more X-rays this week. I had hoped to be back riding this week but I've had a slight setback which has prompted me to go for some more pictures.
"I'll wait and see what the X-rays show before deciding what to do.
"I broke my neck but I feel grand in myself now and have had no problems with pain which I've found very frustrating."
Niven is just 26 short of becoming only the sixth jump jockey to ride 1,000 career winners in Britain and is still aiming at that figure.
He said: "I've had 970-odd winners and the plan is still to go for the 1,000."
