welcome back, Alysha

[Weasel]

 

Race 5 Pukekohe?

7 6X595 Miss Bumblebee (1) M & K Murdoch Alysha Collett 56.5 (R50)

 

is this her first race ride since the fall last year?

Edited June 19, 2019 by Weasel

[Thomass]

Really looking forward to riding at

@PukekohePark

tomorrow, don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to ride on a slow9. Cant wait for the burn

 

 

Quote Tweet

 

Aidan Rodley

 

@Agent200

· 19h

She's back! @AlyshaCollett has her first ride in NZ for more than a year and since her fall in Singapore last year when she rides at Pukekohe tomorrow. A pleasure to work with on @TAB_Racing #Trackside this year. Let's hope she's on the other side of the microphone post-race!

 

 

[Weasel]

and nary a mention on the NZTR website. Pathetic. Perfect opportunity to promote the dedication and skill level of our best jockeys. 

[All The Aces]

 

NZTR have an article on their website on June 4th. She may be back but then she is off!!

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Collett licensed for another Singapore stint

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NZ Racing Desk

4 June 2019

Jockey Alysha Collett has secured a six-month riding contract in Singapore Photo: Trish Dunell

 

Talented jockey Alysha Collett has been presented with a major incentive to resume her riding career after eight months on the sideline.

 

The 25-year-old has been relicensed in Singapore from July 1 and is keen to take up the six-month contract once she has regained some of her race-riding fitness and focus in New Zealand.

 

“I see my surgeon next Monday and hopefully I will get my clearance to start race riding again,” she said.

 

“I have been riding horses as part of the ACC back-to-work programme and going to the gym most days. If I get my clearance I plan to ride at the Taupo trials the next day then hopefully be back riding at the races the following Saturday at Ruakaka.

 

“I’m happy to get my Singapore license again. I enjoyed my time over there last year and, though it was a bit slow for me to start with, it was starting to go well until my fall.”

 

Collett has been off the scene since a fall in Singapore last October left her with serious damage to her L1 lumbar vertebra and a fractured right heel.

 

She underwent surgery in Singapore to have metal rods and screws inserted to stabilise her lumbar region and it has been a long, slow road to recovery.

 

“For four months I lost everything (fitness-wise) because I couldn’t move properly,” she said. “I couldn’t do a lot with the rods in. They were a massive restriction.

 

“But since I had the operation about five weeks ago to have the rods (and screws) removed I’ve been able to do more and start to get my fitness back.

 

“There is a little bit of restriction because of the scar tissue, but I’ve been working on it and gradually in the last two weeks I’ve got more freedom.”

 

During her time on the sideline Collett did television appearances as part of the Trackside presentation team at the major summer racing carnivals and, though she enjoyed the media experience, resuming her riding career is her main focus.

 

Collett has kicked home 409 winners, 375 in New Zealand and 23 in Australia to go with 11 in Singapore. The highlights have included her first Group One win on Consensus in the 2016 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie and finishing second on the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership behind Chris Johnson with a personal best of 97 wins in the 2016-17 season.

 

Though Collett is licensed from July 1 in Singapore, she wants to ensure she is happy with her raceday fitness before heading there.

 

“It’s too good an opportunity to pass up and I want to get as fit as I can here before I go to Singapore,” she said.

 

“I know I won’t be as sharp as I was when I went over last year, but I know I’m going to get fitter and sharper as I go along. I’m really looking forward to being back riding and getting over there.”

 

[Thomass]

Good gutsy stuff from this girl....tough coming back from a bad injury like that at home...let alone in a far away land full of men...where women usually cook and bottle wash

[Thomass]

Talented NZ jockey Alysha Collett is happy to be back racing, eight months after surgery to fix a fractured vertebra and heel, suffered in a riding accident in Singapore. Photo: Getty Images. 

JUNE 21, 2019Updated 2 hours ago

Ashley Stanley

Ashley Stanley is a sports blogger and mother of two, who is in her final year of a Master of Communication Studies at AUT University.

LOCKERROOM

Alysha Collett back in the saddle after shocking fall

After fearing she was paralysed in a fall, top Kiwi jockey Alysha Collett has fiercely worked her way back from spinal surgery to race again. 

Alysha Collett has a new appreciation of why horse racing is regarded as one of the most dangerous sports in the world.

Eight months after breaking her back in a horrible riding accident in Singapore, the talented Kiwi jockey is back in the saddle. And on Thursday she was racing again for the first time - in three races at Pukekohe Park.

Collett, who comes from a famous family line of jockeys, has had to endure a long road to recovery after having surgery for fractures in her lower spine and heel.

But, driven by the goal to be New Zealand’s top jockey, the 25-year old from Pukekohe has got back on the horse, literally and metaphorically.

True to her personality, Collett doesn’t have anything negative to say about her current situation, but chooses to focus on the positives as she recounts the incident last October.

“My horse lost its front end and I lost my balance when two riders sandwiched us. Thankfully, I fell and hit my heel first because the impact was absorbed, otherwise who knows what else could’ve happened,” explains Collett as she replays the footage of the accident on her phone.

“I initially thought I was paralysed, but I found out later it was spine shock. Most of my nerves were cut off, so I could only feel certain parts of my body while I was lying there waiting for help.

“That’s why racing has a reputation of being one of the most dangerous sports in the world - because one slight move can cause serious problems.”

Collett suffered serious damage to a lumbar vertebra and fractured her right heel in the fall. She had surgery in Singapore, where doctors inserted metal rods and screws. Her mum, Judy, and elder sister, Tasha, accompanied her home.

While she was restricted to a wheelchair for a while, and found it mentally tough with the “change in pace”, Collett started her rehabilitation in earnest once the rods were removed. She was guided by experts in the gym and out running, and was finally riding horses again.

Alysha Collett stayed positive through her recovery, but found it hard going from a "full-on active lifestyle" to being unable to move. Photo: supplied

Before the fall, Collett was on track to make a name for herself overseas, as the only female rider in Singapore.

“Everything was going really well; I was riding winners and people were starting to notice and make comments,” she says.

“The move was a great opportunity to challenge myself in a new environment. I was only there for six months before the accident, but it was worth it.

“At first, I was surprised to be the only female jockey because we’re not short on them in New Zealand. But I guess that’s not necessarily the case in places like Australia or Singapore.”

New Zealand has a number of successful female jockeys but when it comes to being crowned top jockey, everyone competes against each other for the title.

That’s a title Collett wants to add to her achievements.

“A requirement to apply to race in Singapore was being top female jockey in New Zealand, which I was a couple of years ago, and before I left I was sitting second overall. But one thing I want to do before I retire is be at the top,” she admits.

The odds are looking favourable, especially with a household name like Collett.

“I’ve been involved with racing my whole life. I turned professional at 16 and most of my family are involved in the industry so it’s all I know,” she says.

“My mother and father [Judy and Richard] are former jockeys, and my dad is now a horse trainer.”

Alysha's cousin Samantha Collett was the leading jockey in New Zealand last season; Sam's mother, Trudy Thornton, still races, and her father, Jim Collett, was a former top jockey and is now a Matamata trainer.  

“My sister Tasha was also a former jockey and her husband [Andrew Calder] is still riding,” laughs Collett as she rattles off the family tree. "And then I've got a brother [Jason] who lives in Sydney who's a jockey and his partner is also a horse trainer."

So how does she feel about competing against family?

“You forget about it when you’re out there. Ultimately we’re all there wanting to do our best and we know that so it doesn’t matter when we compete. We’re happy for each other either way – I just want to give my best all the time,” Collett says.

“When I was an apprentice, there were times when I had to race against my sister, brother and cousin. In one race I think we came first, second, third and fourth, which was obviously history, but also another example of having too many Colletts racing at once!”

Another vivid memory was her first competitive outing.

“I was in the gates next to Grant Cooksley for my first race. He’s won about 60 Group One races and ridden all over the world. But you have to start somewhere. And that's how it was for me,” recalls Collett.

There are many more memories and milestones she wants to set in her career. However, the journey back to race day riding, for owners like Dame Julie Christie (who gave Collett her first Group One success), has been a challenge.

“The hardest thing with an injury is the change in pace – you go from a full-on active lifestyle which I love, to physically not being able to move,” she says.

“It’s a funny place to be in, because on one hand, I want to be in the best shape possible before coming back. But, on the other hand, I know my body limits and I try pushing them all the time. That’s the bad thing with athletes, we can’t just leave things half done.”

Her rehab experience has Collett wondering what other athletes do to help recover physically and mentally.

“I don’t think people realise the preparation needed to get fit enough to race. We’re in the gym or training everyday, so it would be cool to hear what other female athletes do to get back, just for support if nothing else,” she says.

“I had to adjust along the way to keep myself mentally active. I read, studied a little and tried different things.” 

She even did some television appearances, presenting on Trackside.

“The media work has been another good thing to come of the accident. It’s opened my eyes to another side of the industry and potentially new opportunities,” Collett says.

“I obviously love horse racing so I feel the media aspect was perfect because it gave me the space to talk about everything I love, while also giving back to the industry which has given me so much in a different capacity.”

A media role may be something to consider for the future. But one sure thing is Collett’s ability to plan her successes.

“Every season I set two to three goals. I go in small steps and set new ones after achieving old ones. It keeps me moving forward,” she says.

For now, the goals are around getting racing fit again. She has a licence to race in Singapore again. But, long term, Collett wants to be riding well, consistently winning and being in the top spot, wherever that is.

There’s no doubt, as Collett gets back on the horse, her story will be one to watch and admire.

[Thomass]

Great to finally get the WIN up in the last!

What was that pest MANSOUR doing alongside Alysha in Barrier two...

...chatting her up...both pissing themselves before the race...must have been funny and endorphin raising...1st and 3rd

https://mobile.twitter.com/TAB_Racing/status/1144835352831467526