Jye McNeil will make a welcome return to the Australian racing scene at Sandown on Wednesday.
McNeil, who won the 2020 Melbourne Cup aboard Twilight Payment, last rode locally on October 29 at Flemington before moving to Hong Kong to take up a six-week riding contract which ran from November 7 until December 22.
Unfortunately, McNeil had an Covid-interrupted spell in Hong Kong, which notable sidelined him from the big night of the International Jockey’s Challenge at Happy Valley, as well as restricting his progress overall.
“The COVID regulations really affected us as I had just settled in riding work for some of the leading trainers and didn’t get the opportunity to ride some of the horses committed due to being in isolation,” McNeil told Racing.com.
“McNeil can, at least, boast that he has a Hong Kong winner behind his name but, as limited as his success in the saddle was during his time there, it was the overall, greater international experience he gained that will arguably serve him best of all moving forward.
“I rode a winner. I gained some international experience and worked on improving my racing network and met some very helpful individuals. The trip achieved its purpose,” added McNeil, who has not ruled out a return to Hong Kong in the future, while gratefully acknowledging that, “the Hong Kong Jockey Club were very accommodating and really looked after us during the whole process.”
Those three resuming rides at Sandown will all be for the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable.
