Damien Oliver will be back riding in January after surgery

Damien Oliver will join the list of riders to return from injury early next year as he continues to make good progress from injury.

The champion jockey will start riding trackwork again during the start of January after successful surgery on his hip.

He doesn’t know how long he’ll need to spend in riding work before he gets back to racing but says he’ll give it as long as he needs to.

“I’ll be back (in) riding work early in the new year and I’ll play it by ear when I return to race riding,” he said yesterday.

He had the operation last month and at the time surgeons informed him he’d be facing a break of between six and eight weeks.

The surgery itself was relatively minor and Oliver said it was something he simply got around to doing rather than being anything pressing.

“It’s the position we sit in; a lot of jockeys have hip replacements,” he said.

He is now in full rehab mode and rotating between swimming, cycling and other exercises.

Off the menu for the time being though are surfing and golf, a bit of a blow especially at this time of the year.

Before surgery Oliver revelled in the spring, as usual, winning 10 stakes races including Group 1’s with Glass Harmonium and Hurtle Myrtle on Derby Day.

Other riders expected to come back around the same time include Glen Boss from shoulder surgery and Marlon Dolendo from a life saving kidney transplant.