Gibbons eyes riding comeback after serving bans for drugs and swapping urine

Graham Gibbons has reapplied for his licence to ride following the end of his two-and-a-half year ban for testing positive for cocaine and coercing a colleague to swap urine samples with him.

Gibbons, 37, was suspended for six months for failing a drug test at Kempton on December 7, 2016, with a further two-year ban served from June 2017 for exchanging his urine sample with that of his weighing room colleague Callum Shepherd.

The BHA's disciplinary panel found Gibbons in breach of rule A(30), relating to conduct prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and/or good reputation of horseracing, in that he not only involved a younger rider in his actions, but also competed in a race knowing he was likely to fail a drug test. A subsequent appeal against the two-year ban was dismissed by the appeals board.

The jockey, whose biggest win came aboard Ajaya in the 2015 Gimcrack Stakes at York for trainer William Haggas, reapplied for his licence this month and is awaiting a responses from the BHA licensing department and medical department.

The BHA states it considers each licence application on its merits, and has the option to refuse a licence for anyone it deems to be “not a suitable person”, according to the Rules of Racing.

Graham Gibbons poses with Ajaya and the owners' racing manager Tony Nerses after the 2015 Gimcrack StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Gibbons, who returned home to Ireland after his ban, has been riding out for a number of trainers in preparation for a potential return to the course where he would look to build on his tally of over 1,050 winners during his career.

Laura Way, Gibbons’s agent, said on Thursday: “Graham has reapplied for his licence and the paperwork is with the BHA licensing department. We’re waiting to hear back from them.”

Gibbons declined to comment when contacted by the Racing Post.

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