I WENT for an X-ray on my broken leg today and, as things stand, I am now looking at a return in the summer, maybe June or July.

It’s not just my leg that I have to consider at the moment though, as I decided to have an operation on my shoulder last Thursday to rectify a recurring problem there.

It made sense to get the shoulder sorted now – and I can’t stress enough how much support Max and the McNeill family have given me these past few weeks – and that will ensure I will be in optimum shape when I do return.

The leg itself is coming along fine. They are very happy with the way it is healing, but the shoulder will add a bit of time to my spell on the sidelines.

It is obviously pretty devastating to miss out on Cheltenham and Aintree – and, like most jockeys, I am not a good watcher – but you have to bite the bullet and look at the long-term picture.

I have a great team around me though, and that means a lot.

I’ll return better than ever, I have absolutely no doubt of that.

Adrian