AFTER a three-and-a-half-month spell on the sidelines, Jack Kennedy will return to action on Tuesday at Tipperary.

He rides three for Gordon Elliott in three chases at the end of the card, starting with Royal Eagle in a mares' beginners chase at 4.18pm.

The 2023/’24 champion jockey agonisingly suffered the sixth broken leg of his career in a fall at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on November 30th last year, yet he still managed to make an impressive recovery in time to ride at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

A largely frustrating time for the Gordon Elliott team at Prestbury Park also applied to Kennedy, who rattled the crossbar with three seconds during the meeting on The Yellow Clay (Turners Novices’ Hurdle), Teahupoo (Stayers’ Hurdle) and Ndaawi (County Hurdle) and another trio of thirds. He has not been seen in action since a heavy fall at the second last in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the ill-fated Corbetts Cross.

“I’ve been back riding out for about a month now and I feel good,” Kennedy told The Irish Field. “Since I’ve been out, I had a plate taken out of my collarbone and a few other bits and pieces tidied up. It’ll be great to get back going again.”

With Irish National Hunt racing returning from a scheduled two-week hiatus this week, there are bumper entries for Tipperary’s jumps cards on Tuesday and Thursday, and that is where Kennedy is set to make his return.

It was on these very cards back in 2023 that the 48-time Grade 1-winning jockey returned from a leg break with a winner on the Elliott-trained I A Connect on his first ride back in a beginners’ chase.

He still managed to win the jockeys’ championship that season. Current title leader Darragh O’Keeffe has made a strong start to proceedings this term on 17 winners already, while current champion Paul Townend is on seven winners.

“I’m looking forward to getting back started next week,” said Kennedy.

“I’ve come back before at this meeting down at Tipperary and hopefully it can be the start of a good season for me.”