BIG CITY ROLLER is gearing up for a return to the racetrack after a spell on the side lines. 

The six-year-old horse, trained by Charlie Longsdon, is expected to be back on a race course by December. 

Big City Roller won a point-to-point in January last year, before also making a winning start under rules in a two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Carlisle in the hands of Lily Pinchin.

He followed that up with a second-place finish at Chepstow but has not been seen since that December run.

Ed Seyfried, chief executive of Old Gold Racing, said: "He’s now back in pre-training, he’s probably got another four weeks of pre-training, maybe five, with Sally Taylor who just does the most brilliant job for us.

“He’ll be back with Charlie Longsdon in five or six weeks time and one would expect to see him on a racecourse in December and we are obviously very excited about that because he’s a very exciting prospect.

“We’ve got Apple Away, Kingston James and Big City Roller as our exciting horses for this winter that we know about.”

Big City Roller's return coincides with the racecourse debut of The Hawkstonian. 

The four-year-old horse who is also with Old Gold Racing, is named after a brand of beer - Hawkstone - which is owned by Jeremy Clarkson. 

Clarkson teamed up with Old Gold Racing in order to make his first venture into the world of racehorse ownership.