Many familiar faces will return to Fannie Bay on Saturday when racing resumes in Darwin.
For various reasons, jockey numbers were down in the Top End during December with trainers and Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory having to book Alice Springs and interstate riders.
Resources were stretched to the limit when the Darwin Turf Club held a rare eight-race meeting during the wet season on December 31, which attracted 65 starters.
Thankfully there were no hiccups on New Year’s Eve with a host of regular Darwin-based hoops back this weekend as the DTC kicks off 2023 with six races.
Sonja Wiseman and apprentice Emma Lines return from injury, Casey Hunter is back from a WA holiday, and apprentice Jade Hampson is home after a three-month riding stint in SA.
Wayne Davis, who had only just returned from injury, Jarrod Todd and Stan Tsaikos rode at the two December meetings, while Vanessa Arnott made a winning return on New Year’s Eve following a suspension.
Of the nine Top End jockeys since the departure of Adam Nicholls, Paul Shiers (shoulder) has been sidelined for a lengthy period – although he has resumed track work and his return is imminent.
Alice Springs trio Paul Denton, Phillip Crich and apprentice Ianish Luximon, Queensland pair Ashley Butler and Tessa Townsend, and Victoria’s Mark Pegus rode in Darwin on December 9.
Denton and Crich, as well as apprentice Dakota-Lee Gillett, returned on December 31, along with Queensland duo Nathan Day and Cecily Eaton, Jack Martin (ACT), and SA apprentice Britney Wong.
Crich and Day ended the year with winning doubles, while Denton and Gillett had a win each.
All 12 jockeys on deck for the Darwin meeting on Saturday all hail from the NT, with Denton, Crich, Gillett and Dan Morgan arriving from the Alice.
Wiseman, who shares the Top End and Country premiership lead with Todd with 15 wins and leads the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership with 16 wins, missed both Darwin meetings and one Red Centre meeting in December after surgery on her troublesome right wrist following a fall at Fannie Bay in July 2021 where she also suffered significant injuries that sidelined her for three months.
“It’s been hurting since that race fall and it just kept progressively getting worse,” she said.
“Some nights it was keeping me up – getting legged on a horse was quite painful putting weight on the wrist.
“I was strapping it every time I rode, but it was just too much to continue riding.
“The pain sometimes was unbearable and unfortunately you can’t live on Panadol and Nurofen every day, so I had to do something.
“They ended up shaping the bone, reattaching the cartilage and fixing the main stablising wrist ligament.
“I’m definitely looking forward to Saturday – probably my biggest worry is just that little bit of fitness.
“I’ve got six rides, so very happy to be back.
“Virtuous Miss, Rojo Boom, Archie James and Courageous Hearts would be my four picks – I think they’re all a chance.”
A win on Saturday would also be a belated birthday present for Wiseman after turning 31 on January 7.
Wiseman, who rides for partner and trainer Tom Logan, said it was good to have the Darwin jockeys back.
“It’s great that we’re all back – we’re going to have to get a bigger jockey’s room, I think,” she laughed.
“Even Tom had to fly jockeys up, it made it a little bit hard with us all being out at the same time.”
According to Wiseman, it’s encouraging to see so many horses racing at this time of year.
“Darwin racing has definitely evolved in the last couple of years with the bigger numbers throughout our wet season,” she said.
“At times there used to be fields of five, but now there’s a field of 15 having to be split.
“I think it’s great for the trainers and owners, and for the jockeys as well.
“We’re getting an extra ride almost every meeting due to such high numbers.
“Makes it hard when you’re riding because you’ve got a few more to beat home, but it’s good.”
Finally, Wiseman is a supporter of the Lightning Wet Season Series, which is drawing to a close, and the Ladbrokes Summer Sprint Series, which has just started, that the DTC and TRNT introduced to spice up the “off-season”.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but personally I still maintain that it’s a great idea,” she said.
“New owners, if you can aim horses for those kind of races and it’s obviously preferable to the trainers as well then it gives them something to aim a horse at rather than just running them week in, week out, and earning the same money.
“They now get a chance to actually race for a bit of money in our off-season.
“I think it’s a good concept and hopefully it will continue throughout the years.”
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