Racing: Grylls back in NZ to chase stakes dream

Jockey Bridget Grylls resumes her New Zealand career at Ruakaka today. Photo / Race Images

Bridget Grylls has returned home with a clear career goal in mind.

"I felt the time was right to come back and I'd love to get on some fast horses and win a black type race here," she said yesterday.

Grylls headed across the Tasman during the 2013-14 season and rode 138 winners during her spell in Queensland.

"I enjoyed it there and got a lot of support from some good trainers, it was a great experience and I'm a better rider now," she said.

Grylls rode 67 New Zealand winners before her departure, beginning her apprenticeship at Awapuni with Lisa Latta before transferring to the Matamata stable of Ken and Bev Kelso.

She has returned to her home town of Te Awamutu, but is considering a future move to Cambridge.

Grylls, whose brother Craig is enjoying a successful stint in Singapore, will resume her New Zealand career at Ruakaka today where she has five rides.

"I think Air Centre might be my best, he's drawn well and his form is pretty good," she said.

I felt the time was right to come back and I'd love to get on some fast horses and win a black type race here.

Bridget Grylls

Trained by Moira and Kieran Murdoch, Air Centre goes into the Mountfield Quarry Handicap (1200m) off the back of placings at Te Awamutu, Avondale and at the last Ruakaka meeting earlier this month.

Grylls will also be aboard stablemate Trouble (Almanzor at Cambridge Stud 900m), Noodles (ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup Day 14 July 1200m), Take It Out (Tanalised 1600m) and Cosmic Storm (Northpine Timber Beams and Posts 2100m).

● Failing to reach reserve in an online auction might yet prove a blessing for connections of South Auckland galloper Fire Jet.

Group three-placed Tavistock five-year-old gelding Fire Jet was passed in on a $60,000 reserve on gavelhouse.co.nz this week ahead of a start in today's Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka.

A win today would reap Auckland owner Jimmy Liu more than a third of his asking price and having run a close second to Group One performer Hiflyer at Ruakaka last start, that is a real possibility.

"He has done everything right since then. I'm more than happy with him," Byerley Park trainer Peter Williams said.

"The winner was just too good but his run was very good and there's no reason why the horse can't go another good race.

"He's working well, he looks good and he gets in on a good weight."

A winner of five of his 25 starts, which include a third placing in last season's group three Concorde Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie, Fire Jet carries 55kg in the Waipu Cup with apprentice Jasmine Fawcett again booked to ride.

"He's always competitive but he's not a big horse and he struggles when he gets 58 kilos on his back," said Williams, who trains in partnership with his wife, Dawn.

Getting up in the weights in open company was one of the reasons Fire Jet was listed on gavelhouse, Williams said.

"The owner is getting a few around him and we were finding it hard to place him. He wins another one and he's right up in the weights," Williams said.

"He was going well last preparation but then he bruised his heels when the ground got hard.

"He's come back all right but he's just got hard to place. We'll just take it race to race with him from here," Williams said.

The Williams stable again has a strong string of horses preparing for spring racing.

The unbeaten I Am Invincible filly Media Sensation is set to resume in the group three Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on September 22.

- NZ Racing Desk