Jockey Jamie Mott returns from injury layoff with winner at Sale

With a steel rod and five screws in his right leg after a horror fall last year, jockey Jamie Mott got straight back on the winner’s list at Sale with his first ride.

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Last November Jamie Mott broke both legs and fractured his ankles in a horror race fall at Cranbourne that saw four jockeys and four horses go down.

At Sale on Tuesday, with a 15mm steel rod still in his recovered right leg, Mott flew home on Rock The Ring, his first race ride since that horror night, to cement the perfect comeback with a win.

The reality of racing hit with his very next ride when Mott finished dead-last a couple of races later. But as he drove home to Mornington on Tuesday night, having been up since 3:30am, the 32-year-old was still beaming at a race return which came ahead of schedule.

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Jamie Mott was back in the winners’ circle on Rock The Ring at Sale. Picture: Getty Images

“Originally the surgeon said it could have been anywhere between six and 12 months,” Mott said. “I’ve been back doing track work for about a month and originally had tomorrow (Wednesday) penned in for the races at Sandown. But there was a chance for a few rides today, I came back a day earlier and I’m pretty happy I did, being able to ride a winner.”

Mott needed two surgeries after breaking his right tibia and fibula and fracturing both ankles in the fall, and he was only able to return to trackwork riding last month.

Welcome back @jamieleemott!

A winning return to the track, piloting Rock The Ring to victory for @lindsayparkrace. pic.twitter.com/AnM2PBQ27v

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 12, 2020

He said he didn’t even think about the steel rod and five screws still in his leg, and when he was ushered in the barriers, then jumped, he had that comfortable feeling of knowing exactly what he was doing.

“Once you are in the barriers you get in to a zone, it wasn’t on my mind at all,” Mott said.

He had been able to help his muscle memory after Racing Victoria loaned him a mechanical horse to aid his recovery as he built to his riding return.

The @lindsayparkrace stable couldn’t be happier with the ride on Rock The Ring from @jamieleemott after he had to go to plan B. pic.twitter.com/xHvt4FNiwC

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 12, 2020

Mott, who has 1145 career winners, was wary of the feeling he might get in the morning, when the soreness hits. But after a hot Epsom salts bath, trials at Mornington and then three rides at Sandown, it will just be part of life getting back to normal.

“It’s a busy lifestyle, and I was enjoying getting a sleep in,” he said. “There’s still a bit of adjusting. There’s a few more jockeys around, it’s more competitive to get rides, but it was good to get a winner first day back and get on everyone’s mind again.”

Originally published as Jockey Jamie Mott returns from injury layoff with winner at Sale