Having spent most of this 12 months away from his household, Melbourne Cup profitable jockey Michael Rodd is returning residence to Queensland, in a big enhance for the native using ranks.
Rodd has lengthy maintained he would return to Queensland and whereas the 38-year-old nonetheless has ambitions to journey once more in Sydney and Melbourne, he has determined to name Queensland residence once more for now.
Rodd’s spouse Cara and daughters Lila (four) and Chloe (12 months) left Singapore firstly of the 12 months due to COVID, earlier than Rodd selected to base himself in Melbourne after Singapore racing shut down. The evolving border closures meant he hasn’t seen the household in 10 months.
“It’s been a weird 12 months. When you’d instructed me firstly of the 12 months I wouldn’t see my household for many of it, I might have stated that’s not attainable,” Rodd stated.
“It’s been an enormous battle. We thought as quickly as every thing opened up they’d come down, but it surely by no means occurred.
“So the primary precedence is to see my household, then we are going to get again into using.
“I’m actually excited. It looks like I’m coming residence.”
It is going to be the primary time the NSW-born jockey has been based mostly completely in Queensland for 15 years, having gained the Premiership as an apprentice in 2001-02.
He spent a number of weeks up north final 12 months, linking with Tony Gollan to win The Gateway and Magic Hundreds of thousands Cup on Vega One.
Having additionally partnered Gollan’s Spirit Of Growth to win the Doomben 10,000, Rodd has approached the premier coach, searching for rides, from early December, pending how lengthy he’s required to quarantine. He’ll first keep at his dad and mom’ residence on the NSW Central Coast after which intends to journey work at Newcastle to maintain match forward of his return.
Gollan stated Rodd, who can journey 55kg, will put a little bit of stress on a number of the native jockeys to carry a notch.
“Competitors makes everybody simply that little bit higher,” Gollan stated.
“Final 12 months Michael answered the decision to return again and journey Vega One and we’ve all the time bought on, going again to once I was simply beginning as a coach.
“Clearly we’ve bought our jockeys who journey for us and that gained’t change, however little doubt he will probably be getting rides off us as effectively.
“When he was getting back from Singapore I actually wished him to return straight again right here to Brisbane, however he had enterprise to do in Victoria.
“He’s a superb rider and a high notch bloke.”
Rodd will probably be managed by Cameron Partington.
“This doesn’t imply I gained’t ever journey in Sydney or Melbourne, however the objective for now could be to reinstate myself in Brisbane,” he stated.
Initially revealed as Rodd’s homecoming has trainers lining up