Former idol of Sydney racing riding at Matamata

Comeback jockey Shane Dye says he is going to have to walk before he can run.

And that process starts at his home town of Matamata today.

Dye was the glamour jockey of Australasia in the 1990s but has not ridden on raceday for 2 years, his last career stop having been Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

He has come home to New Zealand to resume his career and reignite his love of riding.

What happens after that, time will tell.

"Getting back to race riding is the next part of a process I have been going through," said Dye.

"I have been riding work for the last three months and have ridden in about 40-50 trials.

"Now it is time for the races and while I know I will be rusty I am excited about it.

"But I haven't set any big goals. This is about walking before I run and taking it one step at a time."

Dye has already taken one of the toughest steps in any jockey's comeback, losing 10kg to be back to 54kg.

He says his mount today Goyescas has been working well but finds it hard to assess her chances because he doesn't know her rivals.

Dye says his race fitness will build in coming weeks and he hopes to play a hand in the major summer carnivals here before deciding where his future lies.