Ex-pat Kiwi jockey Rory Hutchings is keen to get his riding career back on track after being off the scene since February courtesy of the broken collarbone he suffered in a nasty fall when his mount clipped heels at Taupo in late February.
Hutchings, who was in a purple patch of form during his extended summer riding stint back home, was left to rue the fact he missed out on several high-profile rides on Champions Day at Ellerslie last month, although he is philosophical about the incident.
“It is one of those things really and while I did miss out on some excellent rides, I’m also thankful it was just the collarbone as it could have been much worse,” Hutchings said.
“You have to look at the positives, so while I may have missed out, I did get to walk away in better shape than I could have been.
“I’ve made excellent progress since the fall and when I saw the surgeon last week he told me I could probably get back riding now at a pinch but the best thing to do would be to give it another fortnight, which is what I’m going to do.
“My weight is good so when it is time to get back to trackwork I will be good to go.”
Hutchings is back in Sydney and is looking forward to working with some of the bigger stables that he has forged excellent contacts with over the past decade.
“I ride a lot of work for people like Chris Waller and Michael Freedman so I’m really keen to get back to work with them as they have been very loyal and supported me a hell of lot,” he said.
“When I was in New Zealand I managed to win a Group Two (Westbury Classic, 1400m) aboard Konasana for Chris and that was such a huge buzz.
“It may not have been a Group One but it sure felt like it and to be able to get the job done for the stable, who don’t often travel horses to New Zealand, was just so special.
“It was actually quite neat to see so many Australian horses come across for summer racing which I think is testament to the work that has been done to lift the whole Industry, and that success can only help it develop further.”
With 14 wins of which four were at stakes level, including the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) aboard El Vencedor, Hutchings is definitely contemplating a second New Zealand summer stint next season.
“I haven’t really looked too far ahead at this stage but the way things went for me I would definitely like to try it again next season,” he said. “I was delighted to get rides aboard horses like El Vencedor and if the cards fall the right way then I could well be back again in 2026.”
