Johnson making brief jumps racing comeback
Chris Johnson is planning to make a brief comeback over fences in a bid to improve his prospects of winning another New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership.
The gifted horseman will ride Delacroix in the Wingatui Function Centre 2200 at Wingatui on Tuesday and he will also ride the eight-year-old in the open hurdles at Riverton on May 20.
‘‘It’ll be a one-off ride to qualify him for highweights,’’ said Johnson’s partner, Belinda Middlewood. ‘‘John and Karen Parsons wanted him to ride Delacroix in last year’s Grand National, but he wasn’t keen at that stage.’’
Under the New Zealand Rules of Racing jockeys are only eligible to ride in highweights if they have ridden in a steeplechase or hurdle race in the period from January 1 the previous year.
Johnson hasn’t competed in a jumps race for almost six years, since he rode in the Great Northern Hurdles in September 2012. Four days earlier he recorded his last jumps win aboard Silk ‘N’ Satin for John Sargent at Wingatui.
Johnson is an accomplished hurdles jockey, having 55 wins from 260 rides. His jumps CV includes three Grand National Hurdles triumphs, plus victories in the Great Western Hurdles, Great Northern Hurdles and Wellington Hurdles.
Johnson is familiar with the ability of Delacroix, having ridden him on the flat for a win and eight placings, and he has watched on as the son of Zabeel has made the grade as a hurdler with five wins and four placings from 13 attempts. Going into the Wingatui meeting he is third on the premiership with 81 wins, while Sam Collett is clear on 106 ahead of her cousin, Alysha Collett, on 82.