A DISGRACED jockey banned ten years for corruption says he is ‘blessed’ as he starts riding out again for William Haggas.
Eddie Ahern’s case rocked racing to its core when he was exiled for a decade in 2013 after being found guilty of deliberately stopping a horse from winning.
Ahern served a ten-year ban for corruption but is now plotting a comeback to race-riding providing his body holds up
Haggas, left, trained a Royal Ascot winner for King Charles just last month
Former footballer Neil Clement, who played for West Brom, was banned for 15 years as well for using Ahern’s insider info to place bets.
Ahern, 45, won the Irish St Leger as a jockey and was one of the biggest figures in the weighing room.
Now he is dreaming of making a return to the racetrack should he recover from a horrific leg break.
And he could even have a runner under the legendary Haggas should he impress the Derby-winning trainer while doing work at his Somerville Lodge base.
Ahern told the Irish Examiner: “Ten years is a long time and it has felt like forever.
“I think I’m a long way from a comeback, because I had such a bad leg injury in May last year.
“I was in a lot of pain. I’m not in any pain now and the bone has completely healed. I have a bit of a limp and I’m still not running yet.
“I put myself on a strict diet when I was in hospital, but I weighed myself the other day and I was 10st.
“However, I am blessed with a physique which adapts easily to the weight demands of riding on the Flat.
“So, with the right diet and routine, making the weight would be no problem to me.”
Ahern insists it is time to move on from his ban as he attempts to rehabilitate his image and name in the sport.
He added: “I felt the punishment was harsh, but I have served my ban and I need to move on.
“I am allowed to ride out for trainers, and while I still haven’t fully recovered from a broken leg, I wanted to get my leg stronger, get myself fit and get back into riding racehorses.
“I am really thankful for the opportunity to ride out for Mr Haggas.
“I rode a lot of winners, including one at Royal Ascot, for him. I want to see if the bug still there, whether the fire is still in my stomach.
“I haven’t ridden racehorses in a while and when you are a work rider, it is all about educating the horses and getting the pace right, and feeding back as much information to the trainer as possible.
“I wanted to get back doing all that, especially with such high-class horses.
“William and his wife Maureen know how much I admire them as people and as trainers.
“I love them, the lads in the yard, the yard itself and love the routine and the set-up.
“I know how Mr Haggas wants his horses ridden and know how they should be ridden. I just want to get back doing all that again.”
There is no denying Ahern, who has run an equestrian centre in Leicester during his ban, has been a controversial figure in the sport.
In December 2007 he was banned for three months after he was found to have deliberately broken whip rules.
He was Ireland’s champion apprentice in 1997 and in 2006, his best year in the saddle, banged in a mightily impressive 140 winners.
