Mad Moose to make his return

Racing's celebrity non-starter Mad Moose could return to action as soon as next weekend's Open meeting at Cheltenham after the British Horseracing Authority lifted his suspension from racing.

The 10-year-old's habit of refusing to race led in January this year to the BHA banning connections from making entries for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding.

The last straw for the BHA's disciplinary panel had come when Mad Moose got up to his regular antics at the start in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown last December.

Every attempt was made to get Mad Moose to take part and although he did briefly set off, he would not race properly and pulled himself up before the first fence.

Watch Mad Moose in action in that race by clicking here.

The Sandown stewards referred the matter to the BHA because the horse had refused to race, been reluctant to race or had tailed off, in Flat and jumps races on six further occasions in the previous 14 months.

A first potential target for Mad Moose is Cheltenham's Shloer Chase on Sunday week, where he could clash with Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sire De Grugy.

Twiston-Davies said: "I'm very pleased, he's going well at home and I just need to get him fit enough and he'll be ready to go.

"I don't really having anything in mind for him. There's the two-mile chase at Cheltenham next weekend, but whether he's quite fit enough to go there, we'll see. I'll know a bit more after I work him this weekend.

"We've been trying a few different things with him at home. Hopefully it will stand him in good stead when he goes back on the racecourse."

The BHA warned that any repeat of Mad Moose's old tricks would land him in hot water once again, saying: "If the horse refuses or causes issues at the start in any race in the next six months it will be referred immediately to BHA."