Pires savours return to saddle
JOCKEY David Pires makes his return to race riding after spending 21 months on the sidelines following a horrendous fall that involved five fallen horses at Elwick in February last year.
Pires suffered multiple fractures to his hip and pelvic region that required two delicate operations and an intensive rehabilitation program.
“Initially the surgeons suggested I might never ride again and even up to eight months ago it was unlikely that I would be able to resume riding, but the bones started to heal and all of a sudden everything started to fall into place,” Pires said.
“It’s been a long wait, but I am back riding in Launceston on Wednesday night, and I can hardly wait.”
Pires, who has been riding trackwork daily for the past two weeks at Scott Brunton’s stables at Seven Mile Beach, is under instructions to ease his way back into race riding, so he will only afford himself one ride tonight.
“The doctors suggested I take only a couple of rides at the start and then increase gradually, so I’ve opted to take only one ride and if I handle riding under race conditions, I’ll step it up to two at the following meeting. I won’t rush it because I want to be absolutely sure that my body is ready before I am riding in every race.”
Pires has chosen the Brunton-trained Sir Da Vinci as his first ride back and the only ride he has taken at tonight’s meeting.
Sir Da Vinci is a former New Zealand gelding that has had only four starts that includes two minor placings in New Zealand.
At his last start in NZ in early May he was fifth of 15 when ridden by Opie Bosson, finishing just under three lengths from the winner. Sir Da Vinci lines up in the first race on the nineevent card, a maiden handicap over 1200m.