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After calling in sick at the last Kranji meeting, top jockey Michael Rodd is ready to bounce back even if this weekend will be less busy than usual with only a light book of five rides.
The Australian heavyweight jockey had to give up his nine rides on Sunday after he came down with flu. Now fully recovered, he is set to ride Mr Jackson and Battle Horse on Friday, and Tim, Shanghai Bund and Trudeau on Sunday.
“I’m taking it easy this week. I’m getting on all the heavy weights for a start, but hopefully I can still ride a winner or two,” said Rodd whose lightest ride is Trudeau (56.5kg) in the SG50 Trophy in which he had to forego Affleck given the 54.5kg handicap.
The Australian heavyweight jockey had to give up his nine rides on Sunday after he came down with flu. Now fully recovered, he is set to ride Mr Jackson and Battle Horse on Friday, and Tim, Shanghai Bund and Trudeau on Sunday.
“I’m taking it easy this week. I’m getting on all the heavy weights for a start, but hopefully I can still ride a winner or two,” said Rodd whose lightest ride is Trudeau (56.5kg) in the SG50 Trophy in which he had to forego Affleck given the 54.5kg handicap.
“It’s hard when I fall sick as if I take medication and water, it’s more difficult to keep my weight down. I just have to let it run its course, but it’s all good now.
“After I was suspended in June, my weight obviously went up and I probably rushed into it when I came back. I just need to pace myself a bit better.”
Sunday’s late scratching was just another of a series of mini-setbacks that somewhat slowed down the momentum that saw Rodd catapult to a clear second to Manoel Nunes on the premiership in May (14 winners all up, including a four-timer on May 29).
A two-day ban for careless riding at the end of June, getting stood down on Derby day (July 12) after his third ride for dehydration and last Sunday’s sick leave (even if only one of his rides, Californian Jet, went on to win with Alan Munro up) can certainly throw in a speed bump, even if Rodd has no designs on the Singapore title chase at his first season. Fellow Australian jockey Corey Brown was trailing Rodd in fourth by as many as eight wins at the end of May but is now on level terms on 51 winners, albeit a whopping 34 winners behind runaway leader Nunes.
“I think Corey will be gobbling me up soon,” said Rodd who still boasts the third highest strike rate at 16.94% after Nunes (24.93%) and Mark Ewe (17.86%). “He’s a great jockey, can ride lighter than me and he gets good support from the big stables.
“But I’ve had a great first season and I can’t complain considering I came here with no expectations. Singapore is home for me now, for as long as I can stay.”
With the Spring Carnival just around the corner, the former Melbourne-based hoop was in no hurry to look for a cameo act either. The one horse who could have made him jump on a plane was the Ken Keys-trained Rich Enuff with whom he won two Group races and finished second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas last year, but another jockey has been booked, Damien Oliver.
“Ollie’s on Rich Enuff now. It’s best for them to have a jockey to ride him now and give them feedback,” said Rodd.
“I have no plans of heading down there unless a good ride comes along. It's too hard, especially on Derby day, I’ll just watch from afar as I’d rather concentrate on the racing here.”
