Pawsey saddles up

‘Rusty as old gate’ jockey sees his chance

JOCKEY SHANE PAWSEY

COMEBACK hoop Shane Pawsey is hoping he is in the right place at the right time with the Far North jockey ranks taking a recent talent hit.

With experienced pair Sonja Wiseman and Braydn Swaffer relocating to the Northern Territory, more opportunities are set to open up for jockeys.

Pawsey recently started his riding comeback, after originally stepping away in May 2015.

The talented jockey hopes to pick up more rides with Wiseman and Swaffer moving on.

“I think so, as Sonja and Braydn leave a little bit of a hole in the riding ranks,” Pawsey said.

“We are always a bit light on for riders up here.

“I am only coming back into the game and I am still as rusty as an old gate.

“I have got to pull my finger out, get going and hopefully I can make things happen a little bit.

“I think I am going well for where I have come from.

“Obviously coming back from three years off, and it is steady as she goes.”

Pawsey rode a winner for local trainer Rhonda Inglis at Cannon Park on Tuesday before following it up in the last of the day on Bold Kingston.

Meanwhile, despite winning the Cairns City Cup on Tuesday, the Stephen Potiristrained Bold Kingston has been deemed ineligible to compete in the Country Cups Challenge final under the conditions of No Metropolitan Wins in the Last Two Years, having won a $60,000 2YO race at Doomben in April 2017.

The final is for horses that have not won a Metropolitan Race in the last two years.

Racing Queensland yesterday said Vaunting, who ran second to Bold Kingston on Tuesday, could be set to gain the place in next month’s $70,000 final to be run at Doomben on George Moore Stakes Day.

Racing in the north heads to Cooktown this Saturday and then to Cluden Park in Townsville on Sunday.

I HAVE GOT TO PULL MY FINGER OUT ... HOPEFULLY I CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT.