KEY POINTS:
There's a spring in David Walsh's step as he heads to his momentous 2000th winner in the saddle, hopefully this weekend.
You might not have noticed, but it's been there for a while.
It's since Walsh took two years away from race riding nearly five years ago to become private trainer to the Westbury operation.
Now, he says, he's born again in the racing sense.
"In hindsight, the time away was like a big holiday.
"When you do something every day for 35 years it probably has an effect and the two years I was away from it now feels like it was 10 years."
The rejuvenation showed remarkably over the sensational holiday racing period he and South Island trainer Michael Pitman experienced.
The pair didn't win everything, but they went close.
Walsh had 50 rides between Boxing Day at Wingatui and Kumara on January 12 and won 21 of them.
A century ago when the concentration of talent was in a few trainers' hands that might have been achieved, but in modern-day racing it's unheard of. Almost impossible.
For loyalty reasons Walsh elected to ride a big team for Pitman at Riccarton today, rather than taking mounts on Wellington Cup Day at Trentham.
He had the option to ride the outstanding 3-year-old Alamosa in the $250,000 Thorndon Mile.
Walsh took his record to 1995 winning on Indian Wells at Trentham last Saturday and says even as a native South Islander it won't mean more to him if the 2000th winner comes at Riccarton today.
"It's a milestone no matter where it happens - I don't mind where it is.
"Actually, if I had a choice I'd like it to have been at Awapuni, which was my base for so long, but I don't see it as being important in the big picture."
Lance O'Sullivan (2357), Bill Skelton with 2156 and David Peake (2093) are the only New Zealand jockeys to have reached the magical 2000.
Walsh is not huge on looking back - he's definitely a forward thinker - but joining a club of three is the right time for at least some reflection.
The best you've ridden?: "You've got to put Courier Bay right up there. I've got a video of most of his wins and when you play it you realise how easy it is to forget how good some horses were.
"Solvit, he has to be in the three. He won a Kelt Capital and a Cox Plate racing in an era of very good horses like Rough Habit.
"Lomondy, too. Our horses that can perform at the top level in Australia are very good. Lomondy won a Caulfield Cup and Adelaide Cup."
It's predictable that Walsh, like just about everyone else, rates Lester Piggott the best jockey he's seen.
"I rode a winner at Ellerslie one day when he was there and I was so proud. I reckon I rode it better because he was riding that day.
"He was a genius."
Walsh has great admiration for the now retired Brent Thomson.
"Brent was a super rider - poetry in motion. He rates amongst the best anywhere. Jim Cassidy is another super rider."
In terms of accomplishment or biggest win, Walsh shies away from the horse and looks inward.
"I get a huge satisfaction out of having put in the graft and stood the test of time through guts and stickability.
"There have probably been dozens and dozens of jockeys that are better that have lost their way or given up because they've had enough, or whatever.
"In doing 35-plus years you've made a statement."
Walsh loves his golf and likens his job to a pro golfer.
"What could be better than working within your passion?
"Doing something you want to do everyday and making a living out of it.
"How many people go to work every day and say, 'you beaut this is exactly what I want to be doing'?
"A lot of jockeys don't stick to it because they don't really like what they do or like the horses.
"I love the horses, which is why I did so well when I was training [winning the national trainers' strike rate premiership at his only full year of training at Awapuni].
"I get up every morning and can't wait to get there."
