Jim Cassidy is one of racing’s personalities. Ever ready with a quip or a quote, he has ridden a roller-coaster of controversy and injury and bounced back from it all.
But over the past five months, Cassidy has been something altogether different.
He has been the man behind troubled apprentice Josh Adams’ long and bumpy road to redemption.
Adams was riding the crest of a wave, a runaway leader of the Sydney apprentices’ premiership and the most promising junior rider in the ranks.
But it all unravelled in April when he tested positive to a banned substance in a random drug test at Gosford races, a day after the Golden Slipper.
Adams was suspended for seven months but successfully had that reduced to five.
Not long after stewards handed down his penalty, Adams was in the headlines again for his behaviour at a compulsory drug and alcohol awareness seminar organised by Racing NSW, which asked him to repeat the program.
But his reputation had been tarnished, again.
It was during this turbulent period that Adams phoned Cassidy seeking an experienced head.
“He’s been up and down his whole career so I rang him to see if he could give me a bit of advice,” Adams said.
So Adams went to Cassidy’s property on the outskirts of Sydney and his lessons in life began.
“He (Cassidy) said `I want you to come and live with me, no car, no phone’,” Adams said.
“He said ‘I’ll organise everything for you, I don’t want you to talk to anyone, go anywhere, do anything you’re not doing with me, for as long as it takes.
“I did everything. I worked on his property, went training with him every day.
“He was a great help mentally and physically and got me in a great place.”
Adams lived with Cassidy and his young family for close to three months.
It gave him space away from racing, time to think and soul-search.
Time to miss riding, to grow hungry for the next winner. Time to grow up.
“I matured a lot in every aspect,” Adams said.
“I see things from a different angle now.
“Jim and his family have been great, I owe them so much.
“I went to Jim’s a 19-year-old boy frustrated with life and with letting myself down.
“But I left a young man who could hold their head high with what they’d achieved in those few months.”
Adams has been back riding trackwork since early September and will have his first race ride back at Randwick on Saturday when he has four mounts.
Three of those are for master Gerald Ryan – Emperor, Jester’s Girl and Rosie’s Reward.
Ryan, along with Adams’ parents, has been the other major crutch for him during his suspension.
Adams says Ryan’s support “never wavered” and the trainer sees a changed kid.
“He realises it was a big mistake and a lot of his friends weren’t his friends,” Ryan said.
“His attitude is heaps better.
“He believes in himself. He always has believed in himself but he believes in himself all the more now.”
Despite missing the final two months of last season, such was Adams’ lead in the Sydney apprentices’ title race he won it anyway.
He wants to win it again this term, even though he has given away a head start.
And such has been his commitment to his comeback he will ride three of his mounts on Saturday at 51.5kg.
He can’t wait.
“I’m very excited, it’s been a long time and I’ve got a couple of nice rides,” Adams said.
“Hopefully I can get a winner.”
AAP TURF
