COLLETT BACK EARLY ON KRANJI WINNER’S LIST

[Wandering Eyes]

Alysha Collett boots home promising youngster Bluestone for an easy victory.

New Zealand jockey Alysha Collett has not taken too long to return to the Kranji winner’s circle at her Singapore riding comeback after she booted even-money favourite Bluestone home on Friday.

Collett is back for a second stint after the first one was cut short a few weeks before it was up, due to vertebral injury sustained in a nasty race fall from Drone on October 14.

The 25-year-old went back to New Zealand to convalesce and once she was back on her feet, she put in a application for a new licence, which was successful.

The plucky lass had her first rides last Sunday, without placing in three starts, but she was straight back in business five days later.

From her book of six rides, Bluestone, an impressive all-the-way debut winner as a two-year-old in a Restricted Maiden race (1100m) on July 19, was the standout.

No doubt, the Cliff Brown-trained son of Hallowed Crown faced a sterner test in the $75,000 Novice race over 1200m where he was pitted against the likes of Hotshots Slam, Ocean Crossing and even stablemate Attention who was backing up after his third place last Friday, but Collett rode him a treat for the perfect result at the receiving end.

“I didn’t expect to ride a winner that quick. He’s a beautiful horse and he hit the line nicely,” said Collett, who rode one winner for Brown last year, Sir Isaac.

“The healing process took a while and then I had to get a licence back here. So it was a surprise to get on such a nice horse at only my second day.

“There was a bit of pressure early in the race but I didn’t panic. I didn’t want to bustle him up.

“I waited for him to get on the right leg and get a good rhythm to the line.”

It was for sure a well-judged ride from the winning jockey of close to 380 races, including 11 that were posted at Kranji last year. -STC

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