Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy is back doing what he loves two months after fracturing his neck in a fall on Golden Slipper day.
The toughness and fitness of jockeys cannot be questioned, and McEvoy wants to get back to winning ways on the track to make up for a carnival lost.
Kerrin McEvoy is focused on returning to the winner’s circle at Rosehill on Saturday.Credit: Getty
McEvoy’s last three rides on that Golden Slipper day were a runner-up finish on Coleman in the feature race, a win in the group 1 Galaxy on Zapateo, and then the fall from Tintookie in which he suffered a break in the wing of his C6 vertebrae. Tintookie had to be euthanised.
“I couldn’t do much there for a while, and it was a little frustrating watching because I love riding,” McEvoy said. “I have taken my time to make sure I’m ready and, coming back at this time of year, I can build up towards the spring.
“It’s a good time to come back and hopefully get some momentum moving into the new season and get some confidence back.”
McEvoy, who has won three Everests and three Melbourne Cups, has had two days back at the races this week. He rode Mickey’s Medal to victory at Hawkesbury on Thursday and has a big book of rides at Rosehill on Saturday.
“Any time you have a fall, you realise how lucky you are to be riding and active,” McEvoy said. “The hardest thing in recovering is the rest to let your body mend.
“I was lucky to have some good advice from the doctors. I just needed the fracture to stabilise. I took an extra week to make sure I was right, and now I want to get a couple of winners.”
With many of the top riders in Brisbane for the Queensland Derby and Kingsford Smith Cup, McEvoy has picked up some good rides, including Sibaaq in the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill.
