DOCTORS treating Walter Swinburn yesterday warned against over optimism in assessing the jockey's condition. The 34-year-old is conscious but battling severe breathing problems, a fluid build-up in the lungs and multiple suffered in Sunday's fall His father Wally, who flew over to Hong Kong on Monday, was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying Walter could be back in the saddle within months.

But Dr Tom Buckley, in charge of the intensive care unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital, where Swinburn is being treated, warned: "He has had a severe trauma, with multiple fractures, bruised lungs and severe head injury.

"His principal problems relate to the head and chest. Patients with this kind of trauma can be very stable but can then suddenly deteriorate. He is quite stable at the moment, and we are guardedly optimistic."

And Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club racing director Philip Johnston added: "Our report is that he is getting better and the doctors remain cautiously optimistic. But he is in intensive care and you are not in there for nothing - if he really was fully on the road to recovery he would be out. "I saw him with his father last night. He's obviously got a long way to go," he said.

Doctors said Swinburn would be in intensive care for several more days and his agent Graham Green said: "According to his father who has seen him today, Walter's condition has improved from yesterday. The doctors are taking him off the ventilator and cutting back on his sedation.

Following a meeting of the Levy Board, it was confirmed that betting tax for off-course punters in Britain will be reduced from 10 to 9 per cent as from March 1st.