Injured Maguire misses Cheltenham

Adrian Maguire`s Cheltenham jinx has struck again after it emerged he had suffered serious injuries in a fall at Warwick on Saturday which have ruled him out of action for at least three months.

The jockey broke a bone in his neck when he came off the Ferdy Murphy-trained Luzcadou seven from home in the Warwick National Crudwell Cup.

He was taken to Warwick General Hospital immediately after the incident and underwent a scan last night.

'He`s broken his neck,' Murphy revealed today. 'He`s having an operation this evening and I think he`ll be out for three or four months.

'He`s having the operation this evening and we`ll see how it goes from there.'

He sat out the 1995 Festival after his mother died, only to miss the meeting a year later after breaking a collar bone and a broken arm saw him on the sidelines in 1997.

Maguire had a number of quality rides lined up for this year`s Festival, including Florida Pearl in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, and was a 25-1 chance tobe leading jockey at the meeting.

Maguire, 30, was moved to a hospital in Coventry where he will undergo surgery.

JP McNamara will take over on Murphy`s Festival runners including the well-regarded Truckers Tavern in Tuesday`s Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy.

Maguire was also booked to ride Paris Pike for Murphy in next month`s Martell Grand National.

Florida Pearl`s trainer Willie Mullins will wait before deciding who will ride the Pertemps King George VI Chase winner in Thursday`s feature.

He said: 'No decision until later in the week. I`m going to sit with this one.'