Racing: Osborne hits back at doubters as his hand improves

JAMIE OSBORNE is poised to return to race-riding within three weeks providing he gets clearance from the Jockey Club medical officer, Dr Michael Turner. Osborne, who on Monday was released from police bail after being arrested in January by police investigating allegations of race-fixing and horse doping, said yesterday that he is ready to return from a wrist injury suffered last November and hit back at those who doubted his innocence.

"You would not believe the amount of innuendo and absolute rubbish that I've had to put up with since January," he said. "I've been in a difficult position. At times people have said that my silence has been deafening and at times, if I have said anything, and I haven't said very much, people have said `he protesteth too much'.

"My hand is fine. I had my last treatment in August and I've been trying to get myself fit since then and my hand a bit stronger," Osborne said.

"Dr Turner's criteria for passing me fit is that I'm neither a danger to myself nor anybody else on the racecourse. I've proved I'm a danger to myself but I don't think I'll be a danger to anyone else.

"There have been times in the last 11 months that my hand hasn't looked great and there are times when, although I've never lost the will to come back, it has been worrying and it did look dodgy for a time."