Craig Thornton has learned his lesson and will venture to Trentham on Saturday even if it is for just the one ride.
Thornton has been booked to ride Hawke's Bay Hurdles winner Bushland in the $30,000 Wellington Hurdles at Trentham but remains without a mount in the $40,000 Wellington Steeplechase.
He was in a similar position last year and opted not to make the trip south. The horse he could have ridden in the Wellington Hurdles was Harbour Lights, who went on to win in the hands of Wayne Hillis.
"I'm not going to make the same mistake again," Thornton said.
He picked up the ride on Bushland on Monday when Jonathan Riddell was ruled out as a result of his fall aboard Chibuli at Flemington last Saturday.
Riddell had been engaged after Clayton Chipperfield, who rode Bushland to victory in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles, opted to switch to Hooter Bedford.
Thornton has been something of a jetsetter this year with three trips to the United States, three to Australia and two to Japan. It has proved well worthwhile, combining with St Steven to win the Nakayama Grand Jump - the world's richest steeplechase - in April as well as winning three races in the United States.
These included the US$100,000 ($207,000) Hard Scuffle aboard McDynamo at Churchill Downs in May. That horse also ran second in the $US100,000 Joe Aitcheson at Pimlico while Thornton recorded wins in two other US$50,000 ($101,000) events.
His trips to Australia have not been so fruitful, but he did run second on Wilson Road at Oakbank in South Australia.
Thornton had also been due to ride in Melbourne again last weekend but his Grand National Steeplechase hope Sampan Man was not paid up for and he ended up without a ride.
He has won 10 jumping races in New Zealand this season to be second to Chipperfield in the jumps jockeys' premiership with his most notable win being the Pakuranga Hunt Cup Steeplechase aboard Wanderlust last August.
- NZPA
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