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Richard Hawkins has yet to regain full consciousness after his Taunton fall a fortnight ago, but he is reported by his uncle, Chris Down, who visited him on Sunday, to be making progress every day. "His eyes are open and he's taking everything in," said Chris. "He was trying to get up, but of course he was told he had to stay in bed for a bit longer."

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Leading lady rider Jacqueline Coward has been out of action since fracturing two vertebrae in a Huntingdon hurdles fall in mid-March, but hopes to be back in the thick of things at the weekend. "I'm really lucky it wasn't worse," she said, mindful of those with more serious injuries, "and with the ground so firm I haven't missed too many rides anyway."

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Jack Sherwood has been missing from the scene since a seemingly innocuous collarbone break at Cottenham five weeks ago, but the injury proved more complicated than was first thought. "It wasn't completely healed from a previous occasion and I've made a proper job of it this time," explained Jack, who is amateur to the Venetia Williams yard.

He is due to see a specialist this week to see whether an operation is required, although he has been advised by one doctor that the break appears to be healing on its own, so he is hoping to return to the saddle later in the season.

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Claire Douglas, who sustained a badly cut mouth at the start of the season, is in the wars again, having broken her right wrist in a Penshurst fall last week. She is due to start exams in three weeks time, but pointing out that there is only so much revising that she can do in one go, she admitted to being "bored senseless."

She is hoping that she will be fit to return to action at Folkestone's United Hunts' meeting next month.

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The promising Matt Stanley, who rode his first winner at Brocklesby Park on March 20 but has been out of action since a fall later that day, will be returning to work at Chris Bealby's yard this week. Although he was able to ride in the subsequent race, he was kept awake all night by the pain and the next morning could not lift his arm at all. "Muscular damage" was the opinion given by the hospital, but he had gone back to work the following day when he received a phone call to say that another look at the X-ray confirmed that he had fractured his shoulder blade.

"I was just starting to pick up a few rides, so I hope I'll get some more chances," said Matt, who, like most sidelined riders, has found boredom to be the biggest bugbear.

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Boredom is also a word which figures large in Stuart Ross's vocabulary. The Cheshire-based trainer-rider has endured a wretched run of luck recently. Having fractured his ankle at Alpraham a week ago he has recently lost two horses, including one at Eyton today (Monday). Hopefully, though, his fortunes have changed, as later in the afternoon Mr Wickham hacked up in the Open Maiden. "Our celebratory drink included a toast to absent friends," said Stuart.

His ankle has been pinned, plated and plastered, and will remain so for three months, after which Stuart will have an operation to remove the pins. The ankle is required to be non-weight bearing during that time, but Stuart has already become adept at using his crutches. "It was very painful at the time," he admitted, "but the painkillers are doing the trick and it feels okay now."

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James Owen, who broke bones in his foot in a Horseheath fall at the beginning of February, has had to give up any hope of a return to action this season. He was told last week that although the injury is mending there is still a chance that the metalwork holding the bones together could dislodge, so the plaster has to remain on for another month.

"A winner would be nice," said James, who still has four horses in at his yard near Newmarket and whose charges have managed plenty of placings this year without managing to get their heads in front.

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