Having made a welcome return from injury, Darwin jockey Wayne Davis is hoping for a smoother and more successful day in the saddle come Friday.
Sidelined since May with a serious back injury, the popular 53-year-old made his first appearance back at a wet and muddy Fannie Bay last Friday, and it certainly proved eventful.
After three rides where he finished unplaced, Davis was aboard the Phil Cole-trained Awesome Lad in the last race when the eight-year-old gelding started bucking and took no further competitive part in the event.
“I was thinking that it was unlikely I was going to have a crash landing,” Davis said.
“Awesome Lad is sensitive, he got ticklish and got a bit of a shock with the surface water.
“It was just one of those things, he’s an experienced horse and I couldn’t see him doing it again.”
Davis has four rides for Cole on Friday — Proklisi, Moorestown, Miss Polly and Fly Nice — as he strives for that first win since March 22, when he partnered Proklisi.
Form suggests that Proklisi, Moorestown and Miss Polly are in the mix.
After riding at Darwin’s ANZAC Day meeting, Davis fell from his mount during trackwork on May 4.
The horse bucked and turned sharply to its right before dislodging Davis.
Landing on his back, Davis was transported to Royal Darwin Hospital by ambulance.
“Early days, I did wonder how the body would recover after fracturing my T11 vertebrae and five ribs,” Davis said.
“The vertebrae has recovered extremely well, I’m feeling great.
“There was also a lot of physiotherapy, I just needed time to heal.
“I have been focussing on the fitness in the gym as well.
“It also allowed the spine to recover as opposed to pushing it beyond its means.”
Understandably, Davis was excited to make his comeback.
He returned to trackwork some time ago before getting approval to return to race riding on November 21.
“If anything, it was a relief,” he said.
“I love what I do, especially when it’s your passion and your life.
“It was great to get the eye back in and clean the pipes out, so to speak.
“It would be good to get a win on Friday — get a score on the board.”
Before the mishap in May, Davis was involved in a three-horse fall during the 2021 Darwin Cup Carnival and was dislodged during trackwork in late 2022 when a plover struck his horse.
Another fall could draw the curtain on Davis’ career, which started 37 years ago in Victoria.
“It’s like driving a car to the supermarket, you don’t premeditate something going wrong,” he said.
“If you do, you shouldn’t be driving or riding.
“If you start having thoughts like that, you’re second-guessing yourself and you’re not giving 100 per cent.
“The aim is to be positive, not negative.”
Horse racing news