KEY POINTS:
Grant Cooksley was going to have his first raceday ride in 14 months at Ellerslie on Monday, but decided on a long lunch instead.
The lunch is to induct Cooksley, one of New Zealand's senior statesmen jockeys, as an Ellerslie Legend.
The talented veteran jockey will now resume
his riding career at Ellerslie next Saturday.
You can't blame Cooksley for wanting to soak up some of the ceremony of the Ellerslie Legends luncheon rather that toiling away on the racetrack for the first time in more than a year.
Cooksley joins Trevor McKee, Colin Jillings, Dave O'Sullivan, Lance O'Sullivan, Norm Holland, Bob Skelton, Ken Browne and David Peake as a Legend of Ellerslie.
In recognising Cooksley's contribution to the history of New Zealand's premier racetrack, Auckland Racing Club chairman Bill Gianotti said one of the Auckland jockey's great feats was becoming only the second jockey to ride the winners of the Derby, Auckland Cup and Great Northern Steeplechase on the course.
The first to do it was Bert Ellis.
"Grant's feat to ride the winners of this unique treble is even more remarkable for the fact he was just 19 when be won the Great Northern Steeplechase on Ballycastle in a track-record time that still stands."
Cooksley has been aboard more than 2000 winners around the world and has won 29 black type races at Ellerslie, including three Derbies and three Auckland Cups.
Last January, soon after winning the Wellington Cup on Envoy, Cooksley crashed heavily, breaking a hand and suffering bleeding of the brain.
He was cleared to resume race riding more than four months ago, but when he started riding work he had trouble with his pelvis.
"They found that the fall had put my pelvis out slightly and they had to do some work on it."
Cooksley admits he's been bored.
That's why he decided to travel with his brother to last year's motocross world championships in Europe, visiting a number of countries.
After three and a half decades of race riding Cooksley might have been expected to retire after his serious race fall, but he says the thought never occurred to him.
"I'm not coming back because there is something further I want to achieve - I've achieved everything I set out to do," he said.
"I'm coming back because I enjoy it.
"And when I don't enjoy it any more I'll retire."
Cooksley regularly rode for two of the Ellerslie Legends, Colin Jillings and Trevor McKee, both now retired, and you can bet there will be some sterling stories told at Monday's luncheon.
One of Cooksley's greatest wins for Jillings was on Diamond Lover in the 1987 Railway Handicap.
On Monday the pair will lunch - and remember - just 100m from the Ellerslie finish line.