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After six long weeks on the sidelines, South African jockey Barend Vorster finally makes his riding comeback this weekend.
Vorster has been nursing an injured shoulder, that started innocuously enough but which has taken a longer time than he thought to heal. His first estimation of a return was for the Panasonic Kranji Mile meeting on October 4, but he soon realised he had been far too optimistic.
The 39-year-old still could not get full movement in the shoulders and wisely decided to hold his horses until this week when he was spotted back in trackwork since Monday. If his three barrier trial wins on Thursday (Slew Of Lode, Rafaello and Smart Lad) were anything to go by, the cobwebs are close to being fully blown away.
“I wanted to be 100%. One jerk and it could be back to square one,” he said after riding at his first barrier trials on Thursday.
“The additional three weeks have worked out good. My shoulder is holding up good although my fitness level is only 90%.
“It does take some time to get your race fitness back. I came back riding trackwork on Monday, even did a grass gallop, and today’s first day at the trials was a good blowout.”
Vorster, who has somehow managed to stay in sixth spot on 31 wins (last win came aboard Terms Of Reference on August 21) despite the prolonged absence, is booked for two rides (Vertical Start and Royal Explorer) on Friday and four (Grey Gatsby, Lucky Coin, In Fact and Time Odyssey) on Sunday, with all of them for his main supporter Patrick Shaw, save for Lucky Coin who is prepared by Brian Dean.
“I didn’t want to take too many rides. It would be pointless if I did and then get exhausted halfway through,” said Vorster, who is also not riding any of Shaw’s three Raffles Cup runners - Quechua, Emperor’s Banquet and Majestic Moments – on Sunday.
“Like I said, I’m still not 100%. We want to give those horses every chance so they can head towards their main goal, the Gold Cup.”
Quechua will be ridden by his regular partner Corey Brown in the second Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series while Nooresh Juglall and John Powell jump on Emperor’s Banquet or Majestic Moments respectively.