Hard to believe that leading NT jockey Sonja Wiseman is back riding at Darwin on Saturday.
It was a week ago that the 31-year-old was the victim of a terrifying car-jacking outside her house in Darwin where a group of 10-15 men circled her car before being struck in the face with a rock.
Wiseman suffered a wound to her nose, which was also broken, and the loss of two teeth – with the shocking incident grabbing plenty of headlines.
Following the current Darwin Cup Carnival, Wiseman and partner Tom Logan, an accomplished Top End trainer, are to be married in Brisbane on August 19.
She only went to retrieve something from her car during the early hours of last Friday morning when suddenly the glass on the passenger side window was shattered.
“They smashed all the car windows, they just kept coming at me throwing rocks,” Wiseman said.
“I managed to lock the doors, but they came through the windscreen and then hit me in the face with the rock.
“I think about it now, it’s so stupid – you’re in a car, you think you can get away.
“When the panic hits, it’s like your brain stops working.
“I was lucky because it was five to 10 seconds after I was hit in the face – it felt like forever – when the security rocked up and they ran away.
“A neighbour came out and she came with me when I went back inside, we woke up Tom.
“The ambulance came – I was on 000 while I was out there, while it was all happening.”
Wiseman, sidelined for three months following a heavy fall at Fannie Bay in July 2021, was stood down from last Saturday’s meeting, but despite the injuries and ordeal she was determined to get back riding.
She has been cleared and has three bookings on Saturday, including Phil Cole’s Vunivalu in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m).
Although she has no ride in the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on Monday, Wiseman will be on deck for the NT’s biggest meeting of the year.
She rode track work on Wednesday without incident.
“I took a hefty hit to the face and my doctor said to keep in mind that there’s a chance I could have delayed concussion,” she said.
“I passed all my tests, but he is trying to look after me the best he can.
“If I don’t feel well or anything like that I’ve got to stand down for the day, which is fine as I’m not out there to hurt anyone else or myself.
“I just have to make sure I’m OK while I’m out there.
“Say I ride the first horse and I don’t feel well, I’m to stand down which I guess would be normal even if you hadn’t been through a traumatic experience.
“If you don’t feel well, you don’t keep riding.”
In regards to her teeth, Wiseman is resigned to the fact that the recovery period is going to take time.
She has already received extensive treatment where a fracture has also been discovered above the jaw line and for the interim she has been fitted with a splint to assist with the healing process.
To resume rising so soon might be considered as irresponsible.
“For me, riding is so normal, it’s my safe place in a way,” she said.
“To be able to get back riding definitely helps.
“I think it helps with my recovery in regards to the mental side of things as well.”
Following the events of this week, Wiseman could not speak more highly of her partner.
“Tom’s been extremely supportive, he’s been with me every step of the way,” she said.
“He’s been to appointments that I’ve had, he’s been amazing to be honest.
“It’s been overwhelming and he’s been there to my hold my hand through it all.”
Wiseman finally gave a police statement on Wednesday.
Police have also frequented The Narrows a lot more since last Friday’s incident.
It was a quiet period for Wiseman and Logan towards the end of the 2022/23 season – Wiseman puts that down to a virus that swept through the stable.
She sealed the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership with 26 wins and was second in the Top End and Country premiership behind Jarrod Todd (42) with 30 wins.
Logan (16) was fourth in the Top End and Country trainers’ premiership.
It has been a tumultuous week, but Wiseman is looking forward to her wedding and even found time to have a laugh at her own expense.
“We were going to cancel the wedding,” she said.
“We’ve put the wedding off because of Covid and due to my race fall in 2021.
“I think it’s time that we just get it done.
“I made sure that my photographer is very good at photoshop.
“Fix my nose, make sure it’s straight.”
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