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Gina Andrews’s hopes of being fit to ride in five weeks’ time have been thwarted after the postponement of an operation on her fractured eye socket and cheekbone.

Britain’s reigning Skinner’s national women’s champion point-to-point rider sustained the injuries in a fall at Cheltenham recently, but hoped to return to hospital today for surgery.

She was expecting to stay overnight, but was hopeful that if the repair proved successful she could be back in action – and chasing a record-equalling eighth national title – after five weeks.

Sporting severe bruising and a bloodshot eye, Andrews said: “The operation has been put back until December 27, which also delays my return by a week.

“The operation is optional, but they said unless you want a flat face in the future you should have it. At the moment my face is more or less the same shape, but that is because of swelling.

“I don’t want to wait a minute longer than necessary before I’m back riding again and I’ve been told that will be five weeks after the operation.”

With two winners on the board this season Andrews is joint-top of the Skinner’s women’s title race with Hannah Lewis, Izzie Marshall and Alice Stevens (click here to see the latest leaderboards).