Champion hoop Damien Oliver claimed his first win of the 2014/15 season at Geelong on Tuesday, after his racing return was delayed following minor surgery.

Oliver booted home the $2.50 favourite, Taminga (Kelvin Bourke), in the 2200-metre Emsley Lodge Handicap claiming the easy victory by two-lengths from Step Dance ($12), who finished a length in front of Businessman ($21).

“It’s nice to be home and back into the swing of things, although feeling the cold a bit after spending seven weeks in Maritius,” Oliver told RV.

“(Taminga) won well, it was a comfortable win and it’s nice to be back.”

Oliver was booked take five mounts at Moonee Valley on Saturday but required stitches after the spines of a sea urchin were removed from his foot.  The jockey stood on the creature while on a working holiday in Mauritius three weeks ago.

“My foot has improved slightly, it is still tender to walk on but I can ride,” he said.

“It has been very annoying the last couple of weeks but I am back now.”

Oliver will take the mount on the Joe Pride-trained Tiger Tees in the $150,000 Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200 metres) at Flemington on Saturday.

Pride favourite the Aurie’s Star over the Group Two weight-for-age Missile Stakes sprint in Sydney, on the basis Randwick might be too firm for Tiger Tees to produce his best form.

“I haven’t ridden him before but he’s a classy horse and I’m looking forward to getting on board,” Oliver said.

He said the gelding would carry “a bit of weight” but that shouldn’t be a concern as he believed the seven-year-old was a class above the rest of the field.

“It is a really nice race for him,” he said.

Oliver claimed the 2013/14 Victorian Metropolitan jockey’s premiership, despite missing the last six weeks of the season due to a working holiday in Mauritius.

He notched-up 59 metropolitan wins from 322 starts, at a strike-rate of 18.3%. He also missed the first six weeks of the 2013/14 season (due to a disqualification) and did not start riding until mid-September, making his premiership win even more remarkable.

“It would be nice to take out the premiership again but I won’t get too far ahead of myself,” he said.

“Spring comes in front of us quickly so hopefully I can get some early winners and get amongst it.”