Apprentice Jason Collett will make his first Sydney appearance of the season on Wednesday when he links up with the Chris Waller team for a busy week of racing.
Collett, who made a big impression in Sydney earlier this year, has three rides at Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting and will stick around to also ride at Gosford on Thursday and at the city meetings at Canterbury on Friday night and Rosehill on Saturday.
The New Zealand apprentice spent three months on loan to Waller earlier this year and made the most of his stay with 28 winners including 24 in the metropolitan area.
He decided against extending his stay full-time at the end of last season but has answered the call from Waller to return for the week.
Waller has booked Collett for the rides on Galilean Moon and Dynamic Honour at Warwick Farm although Dynamic Honour is also entered for a race at Gosford on Thursday.
“Basically through a jockey shortage with people in Melbourne we were looking at bringing him over for Saturday’s meeting,” Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said.
“But rather than coming for one meeting, Chris said why not get him over for the week.
“There’s three city meetings, he can still claim two kilograms and he didn’t have anything keeping him in New Zealand this week, so why not utilise his services.”
Collett has five rides for Waller at Rosehill on Saturday including Tromso in the Spring Flying (1100m).
Prior said Collett and the Waller team had kept in contact since the young rider went home to New Zealand.
“We’ve always entertained the idea of him coming back over but the timing just hasn’t been right, either for us or for Jason, until now,” Prior said.
“There’s no doubt about his riding ability and his professionalism and personality complements his riding ability.
“For an apprentice he’s a pretty furnished package and we’ve got no hesitation putting him on horses, he gets the job done and horses run for him.”
Waller will make a final decision on where Dynamic Honour starts on Wednesday morning with the four-year-old drawing wide at Warwick Farm.
Galilean Moon resumes over 1600m in the Randwick Grandstand Finish 5/11 Maiden, having been placed once from two starts at the provincials in her first racing preparation.
“She’s first-up from a fairly lengthy spell but she’s come back well,” Prior said.
“She’s a staying mare resuming over a fair trip first-up and she’s going to improve on what she does but she’s capable of showing a bit fresh as well.”
Collett is also booked for the Clarry Conners-trained Pregrada in the Randwick Betting Auditorium Handicap (1400m).
AAP TURF
