Derby winner Munro fit for return after solving health riddle

Written off by many long before he was recently deemed fit to ride again, the 41-year-old was comforted six months ago by the verdict it was low blood pressure and not epilepsy that had banished him for 12 months on medical grounds.

Looking to the future: Munro is ready to resume his riding career

In the end, after consulting four of Britain's leading neurological specialists, the solution was ludicrously simple – cut out the caffeine which was dehydrating him and take salt tablets to retain water in his body.

Munro, suspended after suffering 'convulsions' on a charter flight to Deauville, where he was to have partnered eventual winner Dutch Art in the Group One Prix Morny in August, 2006, will return to the all-weather circuit late next month.

In readiness, he is sharpening his skills on his mechanical horse stabled at Lester Piggott's Newmarket home and may even ride Arabian horses in the Middle East before attempting to take up where he left off in Britain.

Munro, a black belt who went to Shanghai to immerse himself in punishing, full-on daily karate combat for most of his time out of the saddle, recalls that fateful day with remarkable ease.

Fighting fit: Munro has been keeping in shape with karate

He said: 'Two weeks before I'd picked up a stomach virus and was quite ill. I wasn't eating or sleeping much and, shortly before getting on the flight, I tripped and fell down the stairs of my new house, banging my head badly at the bottom.'

Twenty minutes later, he was in an unpressurised aircraft and, as it climbed to 1,500 feet, the drama unfolded.

'It was then that I passed out and shortly after began to shake,' he added. 'At the time it was feared to be epilepsy but, when they later tested me for fainting in a laboratory, I passed out three times, which proved it was low blood pressure.

'Fainting occurs when not enough blood reaches the head and its purpose is to drop you to the floor so your body becomes horizontal and blood can immediately flow there.

'Recovery is almost immediate but, if you remain in an upright position, as I was on the plane, then you enter the second stage when the body begins to shake, forcing blood up to head. To the layman, it is easily confused with epilepsy.

'But the tests were conclusive and that's why I've been able to reapply for my licence. Although this whole process has taken a long time, it was necessary.

'It's good for everyone that I have been put through the mill. At least now everyone can have confidence that I'm now alright.'

The ban probably cost him the winning ride on Peter Chapple-Hyam's Authorised in last year's Derby, his absence paving the way for Frankie Dettori to claim his first success in the Classic.

Back in the saddle: Munro is hoping for more Royal Ascot success like that achieved on Dutch Art

Munro said: 'I've got no hang-ups about that whatsoever. I was so chuffed for Peter and Frankie. OK, so I missed a Derby winner – if I hadn't ridden one already (he won the race in 1991 on Generous) it may have been different, but it didn't faze me.'

To say that Munro's career has been in the lap of the gods is not far from the truth. The jockey, who rode for 10 seasons in Hong Kong, practises a form of Taoism, an ancient Chinese religion that has kept him focused.

'I pray twice a day,' he said. 'I have always had good feedback from it. There are thousands of gods and you can pray to each one of them for different things if you wish and you can make offerings to them too.

'In my experiences, the reward is high.' Now his prayers have been answered, he has plenty to look forward to.

He is getting up to speed on the mechanical version of the real thing under the tutelage of Jimmy Bourke, a former jumps rider and a one-time head lad at Mel Brittain's yard.

He can expect some familiar faces to rally round him this year, with trainers Chapple-Hyam, Rod Millman and Willie Jarvis at the head of the queue.

Then there is Sergeant Cecil, who helped cement Munro's first comeback in 2005 after a five-year sabbatical by landing an unprecedented Northumberland Plate, Ebor and Cesarewitch treble. The gelding is still kicking around at Millman's yard.

'Being able to ride again is a small miracle,' Munro said. 'I'm now hoping to stick around until well into my forties.'