Danny Sheehy becomes third Irish jockey to return positive Covid-19 test

Danny Sheehy has become the third Irish jockey to test positive for Covid-19.

Sheehy, 20, a brother of Mikey who returned a positive test for coronavirus on Saturday, was asymptomatic prior to the test and is now self-isolating.

Shane Crosse was the first Irish rider to test positive for Covid-19. He was informed of the news before racing at Limerick on Friday and missed the ride on St Leger winner Galileo Chrome as a consequence.

Further precautionary Covid-19 tests were taken over the weekend and, while Danny Sheehy's test came back positive, all other tests, including those made through contact tracing and those at the yard of Crosse's boss Joseph O’Brien, returned negative.

Dr Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB's senior medical officer, said: "We are liaising with the institute of public health and assisting them with contact tracing and all of their requirements. Public health are satisfied with all approaches we have taken and we will continue to be in regular communication."

The three jockeys who have tested positive for Covid-19 will only have to isolate for ten days rather than 14 after the period of self-isolation for positive cases in Ireland was reduced on Monday.

Under the change, the patient must be fever-free for the last five days. The close contacts to Crosse and the Sheehy brothers must still isolate for 14 days, even if they have tested negative.

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