Alysha Collett and Patrick Moloney are the latest ex-pat jockeys to leave Singapore with heightened restrictions introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moloney is returning to Victoria while New Zealander Collett will head to Sydney where she rode with success as an apprentice.
Racing in Singapore has been put on hold with renewed cases of coronavirus in the community.
Initially one of the nations that contained the virus better than most, COVID-19 cases in Singapore have increased in recent days with the majority foreign workers living in confined dormitory accommodation.
“On Tuesday when we hit the two-week mark for the month lockdown, the Singapore government extended it for another month because the cases on average were about 1000 a day, but we’ve only had about 20 cases of community transmission a day,” Collett said.
“I think they’re containing it well enough, but the whole country is in lockdown for at least another six weeks.”
With not a lot of room for spelling horses in Singapore, light training continues at Kranji with trackwork riders only.
“Because of animal welfare issues, horses are still getting out of their boxes and going for walks, swimming and slow work,” Collett said.
“I haven’t ridden a horse in three weeks since the last race meeting.
“Jockeys are in lockdown along with the rest of the country and are deemed non-essential workers.”
Michael Rodd will also return to Australia while Daniel Moor is preparing to ride in Victoria after completing his self-isolation.
“A couple of us were granted leave that has been approved by the Turf Club. We just leave until Singapore racing is back up and running again,” Collett said.
Collett was enjoying a good season before racing was interrupted and was sitting ninth on the premiership.
The 26-year-old is looking forward to returning to Sydney where her jockey brother Jason is a top10 rider.
“I still have to do the two weeks in isolation when I arrive in Sydney and Racing NSW have requested that I do extra isolation plus have a couple of tests to say that I am negative to Covid-19,” she said.
“I am definitely OK with that. The isolation will be boring but it is just nice to be in the process to potentially be back riding again.”
With Jason Collett restricted to riding in the metropolitan area, there could be an opportunity for his sister to ride horses for his partner, trainer Clare Cunningham, in one of two regions outside the city.
