Jade Hampson excited for return at Darwin tomorrow after injury

[Wandering Eyes]

Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson, pictured during track work at Strathalbyn in South Australia in January, returns from injury at the Darwin meeting on Saturday.

Any jockey would feel apprehensive returning to the saddle following a fall.

Darwin-based apprentice Jade Hampson falls into that category with the 18-year-old making her comeback at Fannie Bay on Saturday following a tumble on Anzac Day.

You would think she would be nervous and surely getting to sleep on Friday night would have been difficult, but Hampson can’t wait.

The teenager has four rides on the six-event program and you get the impression she is also counting down the minutes.

“I’ve been out of the saddle for six weeks now,” she said on Friday.

“Definitely ready to get back into it, I’m looking forward to it.

“No, the fall definitely hasn’t put me off.”

After winning her first race in her first ride when she partnered maiden performer Pointo’s Pick to victory on April 14, it was a totally different story at her next meeting 11 days later.

Hampson was on board Koa for a benchmark 58 over 1100m – the final race of the day – when the teenager fell from her mount not long after leaving the gates.

Landing on the Fannie Bay dirt, Hampson injured her right ankle and actually got to her feet before she was instructed to sit down by ambulance staff.

Although conscious throughout the whole ordeal she was transported to hospital for further treatment before ending up in a moon-boot for two weeks.

Koa clipped the near side fore with the offside fore of the horse inside him, which happened to be leading Darwin jockey Jarrod Todd’s mount Chief Mondo.

The official Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory stewards report stated that Koa “mistrode near the 1050m and knuckled dislodging the rider”.

Hampson vividly recalls the incident.

“I jumped out and I remember the horse actually jumped really well – I was pushing him out,” she said.

“We went about six strides from the barriers and his front leg – he’s got a really funny action and it swings outwards and the horse next to me it’s back legs swings outwards as well.

“It was a freak accident where no one had moved their line, but our horses had just clipped by the tiniest little bit which caused my horse to just trip.

“I just lost my balance before coming off the side of my horse and landed straight on my ankle.

“I basically just rolled my ankle, really bad.

“I had little bone chips that the ligaments had pulled off from my right ankle.

“It wasn’t a break or a fracture or anything – I got very lucky there.

“I had the moon boot on.

“I then took it off and I’ve been doing physio every week, and still doing that.

“The ankle is back 100 per cent now, so I’ve got no worries with it.”

After recuperating in May, Hampson returned to track work riding last week before riding at the Darwin trials on Tuesday.

To keep fit, she was swimming and training at the gym every day.

And is adamant that she wouldn’t have taken rides on Saturday if she thought she wouldn’t be fit enough.

With a 4kg claim, Hampson is optimistic about her chances this weekend on a program where there aren’t too many stand-outs in most of the races.

Hampson has been booked to ride the well-credentialed Pembroke Castle (Race 1), South Australian visitor Dominus (Race 2), the unpredictable Real Reason (Race 3) and handy performer Floreat Pica (Race 6).

Is it a bonus to have the 4kg claim as apprentice?

“Yes, it does actually,” Hampson said.

“I’m pretty happy with my rides on Saturday.

“I’ve got some nice ones and I think they will definitely go good with the claim.”

And here’s her assessment on each of her mounts.

Pembroke Castle: “I’m a bit excited about that one, I think he will go good. He has been running some fair races. I’ve been riding for Gunner (trainer Mark Nyhan) since I was in Alice riding track work, so it’s nice to jump on one for him.”

Dominus: “He is new to town, I gave him a gallop the other day – he’s a very nice horse. His last win was over the 1200, I do believe he is heading towards the Cup. Not sure if he’ll keep up on Saturday, but we’ll see how he goes on the dirt.”

Real Reason: “He can be up and down at times. I definitely believe that he goes better with less weight, so he’ll be going around with 52.5kg on Saturday. He is another good chance.”

Floreat Pica: “He was going good, he had a bit of form in Darwin before a poor run in Alice Springs. I’ve watched a few of his replays, I think he is a chance – it’s not a tough race for him at all.”

Understandably, Hampson admitted that she had periods of restlessness and frustration missing race meetings throughout the Northern Territory in May as she recovered from her injury.

“It killed me being out – especially leading up to our Darwin Cup Carnival,” she said.

“Six weeks out of the saddle seems like a long time for me.

“I actually had some nice rides lined up in Tennant Creek, I was excited to go.

“I’d never been there, but I guess that’s racing for you – lot of ups and downs.”

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