Darren Gauci hopes to resume race riding in time to celebrate his 30th anniversary as a jockey in early April.
The 46-year-old has been sidelined for 7-1/2 months after suffering serious injuries in a fall at Mornington in June but is hopeful of getting good news when he visits his specialist on February 16.
“Hopefully I will get the all-clear to ride track work and it just depends how long it takes then before I can ride in races again,” Gauci said.
A four-time premier Melbourne jockey, Gauci had his first race ride on April 3, 1982 and has ridden close to 2000 winners including 250 at Group and Listed level.
He said he had never had such a long break from race riding and his recovery had been slow but steady.
Gauci suffered a compressed fracture in one of his lower vertebrae, several broken ribs and a bruised aorta when his mount Gothic Armageddon collapsed and died of a heart attack on June 27.
Gauci said he was in a back brace for some months and still experienced pain when sitting and standing for extended periods but he was improving every week.
His rehabilitation initially consisted of machine-assisted light weights, swimming and some light pedalling on an exercise bike.
Boxing, cycling and core strengthening exercises are now important parts of his program while he has been riding an ex-racehorse at Graham Salisbury’s Heathcote farm since the end of November.
“Every week I am riding the horse and I am improving and improving,” Gauci said.
“I have just got to get more core strength back and basically get fit again.
“It has been frustrating but the doctors have been great and what they have said been pretty much spot-on.
“They said it would be nine months before I would ride again.
“Providing everything is all right and it doesn’t hurt me when I’m back riding work, and in the full swing of it, I will be back.
“I reckon a couple of months but it might be sooner.
“The doctors say when you get back riding track work know in yourself when you are ready.
“It depends on how I am feeling. It is not as though I haven’t been riding a horse and that should give me a head start.
“Hopefully I’ll be will be back sooner rather than later.
AAP TURF
