Andrew Lynch raring to go on riding return

Injury-hit jockey Andrew Lynch returns to the saddle at Ayr on Friday after nearly seven months on the sidelines.Lynch has not been seen in action since breaking a bone in his arm at Cork in August.Complications have meant the bone took much longer to heal than expected, but he is fit again in time for the Cheltenham Festival.He is back riding for Stuart Crawford and is on Our Valentina in the two-mile maiden hurdle and Mullaghboy in the extended two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle.Lynch said:"I can't wait to get back, I've been with the surgeon today and he's happy for me to return. "I've been riding out plenty and the surgeon is happy my arm is strong enough now."Looking to next week, the rider, who enjoyed some great days at the Festival with Sizing Europe, added:"I've been promised one ride next week, Ballyboker Bridge in the cross country for Peter Maher, who has won the race before. "It looks an open race to me, I think there's five or six with a chance."There's a chance of another ride, but we'll just have to see about that one."Lynch is a big part of Crawford's team, and the trainer said: "Andrew's been dying to get back, he's been a long time off."Fingers crossed he's coming back with two nice rides, without being certainties they've both got decent chances."I've missed him a great deal, it's been a long six months so hopefully he gets a clear run at it now, he's had some wretched luck."He's been riding out for a while and he's got some rides lined up over the weekend, and even a couple at Cheltenham I believe."What he really needs is race fitness and that will come back.It would be great to give him a winner."