Melbourne Cup hero on comeback trail
‘‘I didn’t ever plan to be away so long. Time just slipped by. I worked really hard – I wanted to change.’’ Tony Allan
It’s been a long time between drinks for Tony Allan.
Take drinks to mean a cup of tea or coffee. Allan, 50, doesn’t touch a drop of alcohol or imbibe in anything that might shatter his burning desire to return to the saddle.
The creed he lives by nowadays is a far cry from the hugely talented Melbourne Cup-winning jockey race fans knew in his heyday.
Allan grabbed the headlines in 1988, five years into his career, when he rode the giant Laurie Laxon-trained mare Empire Rose to a famous Mackinnon Stakesmelbourne Cup double.
The young jockey from Cambridge with the boyish good looks stole the hearts of Australasian race fans with his deeds.
With 12 Group I winners behind him and riding well after his public admission he had beaten a methamphetamine addiction, Allan suddenly and unexpectedly departed race riding and his homeland sitting on 998 New Zealand winners.
He moved to Japan in 2005 where he rode track work and was committed to the same pretraining stable for around 10 years.
It gave the troubled jockey time to sort his life out and determine what was important to him and what achievements he still yearned to conquer. Years riding in the extremes of northern Japan’s weather reminded Allan over and over of what he had left behind in New Zealand.
That included his two children, Renee and Ben, now 23 and 19 respectively, and out in the world earning themselves a living.
‘‘I didn’t ever plan to be away so long,’’ Allan said. ‘‘Time just slipped by. I worked really hard – I wanted to change.
‘‘I wanted to be a responsible and proud father and earn a living to support the children.’’
A return to race riding was always on his mind but he bided his time, waiting until he felt the time was right to chase the desire that burned inside him and to achieve 1,000 New Zealand wins.
‘‘I feel my children are out working now and no longer rely on my support – I feel I can now concentrate on getting my riding career back on track.’’
His return to his homeland had to be when he was ready, and became more of a reality when he made his way from Hokkaido to Sydney 18 months ago and took a job at the yard of top trainers, father and son Peter and Paul Snowden.
‘‘I’ve been riding work for them each morning and every Friday I’ve been riding jump outs,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m fit, I have confidence and I’m happy with the way I’m riding.’’
Free of the addictions that dogged him before his departure to Japan, he feels the time is right to test the waters.
He has completed and forwarded his application to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing for his jockey’s licence and all going to plan will fly into Wellington on May 20.
With the expected approval of his licence and subject to passing a medical, he hopes to gain rides at the Cambridge trials on May 23 where he will showcase his skills for approval of race stewards in a final act before a desired return to race riding.
With all the boxes ticked that will be on one of his favourite tracks, Trentham, on May 27.
‘‘It seems the right time to get back into it,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve talked to several trainers who have offered their support. I’ve been away for 12 years, I’ve looked after my health and it’s time to dust off the riding gear and hopefully I’ve got another eight or so years in the saddle.’’