Central Districts jockey Sam O’Malley has had a quiet last few years in the saddle but made a winning return at Waverley on Thursday when taking out the Pioneer – P8240 (1650m) aboard the Allan Sharrock-trained Fulla Grace (NZ) (Ocean Park).
It was O’Malley’s first win in three years, with weight issues derailing his riding career on the flat, and with no ambitions of riding over fences, he elected to take some time away from the sport.
“The weight was a problem on the flat and it was getting too hard, and I don’t want to ride over jumps at all,” he said. “I stepped away and went farming for a couple of years for a bit of a change and came back to the horses two years ago.”
O’Malley is now employed by Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow and while he is relishing being the South Taranaki horseman’s right-hand man, he is enjoying being back out on the track on raceday, riding in high weight races.
“I am up here at Waverley with Bill Thurlow, I am assistant trainer to him at the moment, so that is my main focus,” O’Malley said. “This (high weight riding) is just something I am doing on the side.”
O’Malley has been with Thurlow for the last season and he is enjoying his time at Waverley, with the lure of entering into partnership with the Group One-winning trainer on the horizon.
“I think next year we are going into partnership,” O’Malley said. “We are building a bit of a team around us at the moment and hopefully the roll keeps on going.”
O’Malley has now won 69 races in the saddle and has earned more than $1.25 million in prizemoney, with the highlight being his victory aboard Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) for Sharrock in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) in 2021.
