New Zealand apprentice Jason Collett will not be extending his stay in Sydney but hopes to end his stint the same way he started – by winning races.
Collett is in the final three weeks of a three-month loan to leading trainer Chris Waller and has decided not to stay on into next season.
But the 20-year-old plans to keep making an impact before he heads home and hopes to get to 25 city wins by the end of the month.
Since making his first appearance at Canterbury on April 20, when he announced his arrival with victory on Needwood Lad, Collett has returned to the winner’s stall on 18 occasions in Sydney including a pair of trebles.
“I’m hoping to get to 25 city winners,” Collett said ahead of Saturday’s Randwick meeting where he has a full book of eight rides.
And even if he falls just short of that mark in the final seven meetings of the season, the young rider will be far from disappointed in his efforts in the past three months.
“I’ve definitely exceeded my expectations,” he said.
“It’s been a great experience for me so far and I’ve learned a lot.
“I’m definitely going home at the end of the season. Whether I come back, I’m not sure yet. I’m just keeping an open mind, I don’t want to say I’m not coming back because I might get home and want to come back.”
On Saturday Collett will be joined in the riding ranks at Randwick by fellow New Zealand apprentice James McDonald who was lured by trainer John O’Shea to ride at the meeting.
Collett is looking forward to coming up against the record-breaking McDonald again, having ridden against the star hoop regularly back in their homeland.
“We ride against each other every day when we ride back home,” Collett said.
“He’s a top rider and he’s shown that with what he’s done in such a short space of time.
“If we both get one (a winner) tomorrow it would be good.”
The 19-year-old McDonald last week became the first rider to win 200 races in a New Zealand season. His tally currently stands at 205.
He also scored his first Australian Group One success on Scarlett Lady in the Queensland Oaks last month.
McDonald’s three rides for O’Shea are Kiss `N Chase, Vantage Point and Cantonese.
Collet’s best chances of a victory could come late in the day with Coup Ay Tee for Waller in race seven and also Othello for trainer Joe Pride in the final event.
Othello, the $4.80 favourite for the Betting Auditorium Handicap (1400m), finished a close third over 1200m at Rosehill two weeks ago with Collett aboard.
“His run was good last start on a surface that wasn’t really suitable to him, it was a bit shifty underfoot,” Collett said.
“From what I’ve been told he wants a good footing, so it looks like he’ll get that tomorrow.”
AAP TURF
