NORMAN WILLIAMSON was given the all clear yesterday to start riding out and he could be set to return to race riding by the end of next week.
After seeing his specialist, Michael Foy yesterday afternoon, Williamson said "He said I can start riding out which is great news. I have to see a shoulder specialist in Reading next Thursday and he will decide if I can return to race riding.
"I feel very good and with another week I will hopefully bee allowed back to ride then it will be all systems go."
Williamson, 27, has been out of action since he dislocated his shoulder in a fall on Eskimo Nel at Newbury earlier this month.
It had initially been feared that he might miss next month's Cheltenham Festival at which he bids to repeat last year's Gold Cup/Champion Hurdle double on's Master Oats and Alderbrook.
The Irishman missed four months of the season when he broke his right leg in a fall at Sedgefield in October and, after returning to action at Clonmel was having his first ride in Britain after that injury when he came to grief at Newbury.
. Ladbrokes yesterday reported strong support for Lo Stregone in betting on the Grand National and have clipped the 10 year old's odds from 16-1 to 12-1.
