Racing: Swinburn's return delayed

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Louise Thomas

Editor

WALTER SWINBURN has postponed his return to the saddle as he continues to tackle renewed weight problems.

The three-time Derby-winning jockey, who only returned from a 10-month "sabbatical" earlier this year, decided to bypass this week's Ebor meeting at York but had hoped to be back in action in France at the weekend.

Swinburn admitted last week that his well-documented weight problems had "been proving difficult to control recently."

Yesterday his agent, Nick Jackson, said: "Walter won't be riding at Deauville as he has to make sure he gets his weight right. He has a complete project combining diet and exercise for this."

While Jackson said he remained hopeful that Swinburn's absence would be a short one, he was reluctant to specify an exact date for a return to the saddle.

"It should be next week but it would be pointless to name a precise day," the rider's agent added.