Heroic return: Kieran Shoemark wins on first ride after drugs ban

Kieran Shoemark made a dream return to the saddle with a winner on Heroic, his first ride back from a drugs ban, at Lingfield on Saturday.

One of the brightest young prospects in the weighing room, Shoemark set out to make all on Heroic in the median auction maiden and showed he had lost none of his strength and drive as he held off rivals on both sides in the final furlong.

Shoemark endured a testing campaign last season when suffering a serious injury at Lingfield before he was suspended for six months after failing a drugs test.

Since then, he has spoken eloquently and candidly about his problems with alcohol addiction, which he hopes will remain behind him.

Understandably, the jockey, whose brother Conor rides over jumps, could not wait to get going again and he made the most of it.

"That was a dream comeback," Shoemark said on Sky Sports Racing. "I felt a little bit of pressure and can get going forward now.

"I have got to thank all the team at home for giving me this opportunity. I am in at Charlie's [Hills, winning trainer] every morning riding out."

Earlier in the day, Shoemark had said: "It's ideal to come back with one ride – I know he's a decent ride – at Lingfield with no pressure. There's a lot of other things going on with the Champions League, the boxing, the rugby and the Derby.

"I've been riding out since February, but there's nothing you can really do to prepare yourself for race-riding.

"I remember when I was injured last year it took me a while, but I'd only been riding out for a week then whereas it's been months now. I've done a lot in the gym and am really looking forward to it.

"It's fantastic to be back – I'm packing my racing bag now – and I've had loads of support from everyone and have a busy few days coming up.

"I'm at Nottingham tomorrow, then Wolverhampton, Lingfield and Kempton, and Charlie seems to have chucked me on plenty of his, which is great."

Shoemark, who won a Group 3 on Projection at Ascot last year and also rode Atty Persse to victory in the King George V Stakes at the 2017 royal meeting, is keen to cement his association with the in-form Hills, but has no firm targets for the rest of the season.

"I want to get back into the weighing room and to normality," he continued. "Race-riding is all I've known. It's been a long six months so I'm looking forward to getting back and not having people asking every day, 'When are you riding?'.

"I don't have any figures, but I just want to ride winners, keep everyone happy, which I know is impossible, and build up a relationship with Charlie and the Hills family."

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