Jonjo O'Neill Jr back in the saddle on Monday after months repairing his back

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If your summer proved to be less fun than you hoped, well, at least you're not Jonjo O'Neill. The 27-year-old jockey spent all of it trying to recover from an old back injury, aggravated by race falls, the most recent of which was his tumble from Dancing City in the bet365 Gold Cup in April. 

While you were trying to grab whatever sun was available in your corner of Britain or Ireland, or perhaps even jetting off somewhere hotter, O'Neill was going through a pitiless daily grind of physio and gym work in the cause of getting healthy in time for the core jumps season. "It was sometimes hard to see the end goal," he tells the Front Runner – but hallelujah, he's made it and rides once more at Stratford today.

"I had a couple of quite bad falls in the spring and they accumulated," O'Neill says. "I broke my back, years ago, and had some complications with that.

"I basically needed to give it time to get properly back. It had got to a state where it wasn't able to function properly." 

His back problems date to 2018, when a fractured vertebra was found which couldn't be connected to a single specific incident but kept him off from March to October. Part of the solution at that stage was an improved diet and vitamin pills, after he was found to be lacking in bone density. 

This time, after a period of investigation and diagnosis, it seems that hard graft has been key. "I was probably just trying to patch everything up the whole time, through the season. But, realistically, for the longevity of my career, that probably wasn't sustainable.

Jonjo O'Neill Jr: "I was probably just trying to patch everything up the whole time"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It needed to be dealt with properly. Basically, I had to start from scratch, so it took quite a while." 

For more than three months, he has been a daily presence at Oaksey House, the Injured Jockeys Fund's impressive rehab facility in Lambourn. "Times like that show you, as a jockey, that we have a very good support system," says O'Neill. In particular, he wants to thank Dr Jerry Hill, the BHA's chief medical advisor, as well as Oaksey House staffers Connor Mahon, Rob Treviss and Hannah Rees. 

"They've been really good. I feel now I'm in the best position, physically, since I started. I've given it the right time. 

"You've just got to take it steady and be patient. I knew it was going to come right, it was just going to take some time. We had a plan of when we wanted to come back, which was around now." 

It's not uncommon in this situation to see a jump jockey return with a ride in a bumper or over hurdles. None of that "toe in the water" stuff for O'Neill. His first ride back will be in a handicap chase (5.00), aboard Trapista. 

"I just think, if you're back, you're back," he says. "I won a couple on her in the past. I know her well. She's been running in the summer. She'll be fine, hopefully." 

As we near the end of the Flat season, it's possible you've forgotten what a high O'Neill was on until his April falls. He rode a double at the Cheltenham Festival, including on the 100-1 shot Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle, and won again at Aintree. His prize-money haul for the season was a personal best, beating £1 million for the first time.

• Jonjo O'Neill: I get a lot of pleasure out of watching my son ride a festival winner - but we were underbidder on Poniros! 

"A lot of things bounced right for me," he says. "But once you get a taste for that, you don't want to settle for any less." 

I ask about horses he's looking forward to and he mentions a handful of novice chasers at the Jackdaws Castle stable of his family, where the licence is held by Jonjo Sr and AJ O'Neill. First up is Bill Joyce, a Grade 2 winner over hurdles at Sandown in December.

Bill Joyce (white): Grade 2-winning hurdler is going over fences this seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"We thought he was going to be a better chaser and he kind of surprised us with the level he reached over hurdles. So we'll be looking forward to him. 

"Wellington Arch won at the Grand National meeting, he'll probably be going chasing too. Mister Meggit, we'll probably go chasing with him. He's got loads of ability. Hopefully, we'll get a clear run with him.

"Roadlesstravelled, he won a Grade 2 in Haydock. And there's a couple of point to pointers that were bought last year who will hopefully shape up in the novice hurdle division.

"We're probably quite happy with the quality we've got. Loads of dreams at the minute." 

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Three things to look out for on Monday . . .

1. Fresh from his Group 2-winning weekend in Paris, Joseph O'Brien has a strong hand with three runners in the mile handicap at Killarney (2.48), two of which have shown good recent promise. Skippinandajumpin, the mount of Dylan Browne McMonagle, looks the one for today's race. Tried over 5f at Tipperary in August, the handsome chestnut was naturally outpaced but stayed on nicely into a distant fourth. More recently at Fairyhouse, she ran a similar race over 6f on her handicap debut, when she also had to contend with a packed field. Stepping up to a mile should obviously suit this daughter of The Great Gatsby out of a New Approach mare.

Skippinandajumpin14:48 Killarney

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Jky: Dylan Browne McMonagle Tnr: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

2. It's a big day for jump jockeys returning to action after missing the whole summer through injury. As well as Jonjo Jr, Nico de Boinville is booked to make his comeback at Stratford, having also been out since April. De Boinville broke ribs and injured his neck in an Easter Monday fall at Plumpton. He'll ride in a hurdle race (4.25) on the handicap debutant The Expensive One, a half-brother to Aintree Hurdle winner The New One. Best wishes to all jump jockeys for a long and healthy season. 

The Expensive One16:25 Stratford

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Jky: Nico de Boinville Tnr: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

3. If it wasn't for bad luck, Tiriac wouldn't have no luck at all. He was interesting this season, from a declining rating, having joined a new yard, but it hasn't happened for him yet. He's met memorable trouble in running at Haydock, Beverley and Thirsk, while another time he lost all chance at the start when the blindfold was late coming off. Now he makes his debut at Pontefract (5.25), a stiff track that ought to help, and he's fine on soft ground. He's 13lb below the mark he had 15 months ago. He just needs a bit of luck... 

Tiriac17:25 Pontefract

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Jky: Jason Hart Tnr: Paul Midgley

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