Andrew Adkins has set himself one simple goal for the remainder of the season – not to break any more bones.
The young jockey has recently returned to the saddle following a run with injury which started during the 2019 Sydney autumn carnival when he suffered multiple fractures in a race fall.
He has since broken his wrist twice, once late last year when he fell down the stairs putting out the rubbish, and again when tossed from a horse at the barrier trials in March.
“It has been a horrid run. They say it comes in threes so hopefully that’s all of them done, surely,” Adkins said.
Adkins returned to race riding just over two weeks ago and has booted home a brace of winners, including a headline-grabbing victory on $151 chance Notabadharada midweek.
He has four rides at Randwick on Saturday, picking up the mount on Canberra sprinter Handle The Truth for Keith Dryden in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m).
The Kosciusko winner found the line nicely when a last-start fourth in similar grade and while he is at double-figure odds to topple popular favourite Classique Legend, Adkins expects him to be competitive.
“He’s obviously a very good horse and he ran a huge race last start,” Adkins said.
“He is taking on a tough field but he should get a nice run from that barrier (six), midfield somewhere, and he will be strong to the line.”
He is also upbeat about the prospects of Coffs Harbour mare Lolly Dolly in the TAB Highway Handicap (1100m).
The winner of three of her seven starts, including the past two on her home track, Lolly Dolly is proven on wet and dry ground and Adkins liked the way she hit the line at her most recent win.
With biosecurity restrictions easing this week to allow jockeys previously restricted to the metropolitan area to take rides at the provincials, Adkins is looking forward to building on his momentum.
His focus between now and the end of the season is to ride as much as he can and win as many races as he can, although both are secondary aims.
“Week to week, just trying to get as many rides as I can and as many winners as I can. Just build that momentum really,” Adkins said.
“And staying unbroken. That’s my biggest one at the moment.”
