Callum Shepherd is closing in on a return to race-riding after revealing he has been sidelined by a cracked kneecap since the middle of April.
Callum Shepherd says his comeback is now a matter of weeks, not months.
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) June 27, 2026
The Royal Ascot-winning jockey suffered the injury after banging his knee in the starting stalls in late March, but initially continued riding before the pain and swelling forced a longer spell out.
Shepherd, 29, has endured a bruising run of setbacks, including serious facial injuries from a fall at Ascot in July 2024 and a broken heel at Longchamp last September that ruled him out for three months.
Shepherd Building Fitness At Peter O’Sullevan House
According to The Sun’s update on Callum Shepherd’s recovery, scans showed he had cracked his patella after the issue worsened following a fall from a two-year-old on the gallops.
Shepherd said he had seen specialists in London, avoided surgery and has been rebuilding his fitness at Peter O’Sullevan House. He described the recovery as trickier than expected, but said he was now talking in terms of weeks rather than months.
The timing matters for a rider who has already missed valuable Flat-season momentum. Shepherd’s immediate target is simply to get back in the weighing room, but his confidence that he can get rolling again gives connections a clear signal that a return is now close.
