Allpress returns to NZ racing

BACK HOME: Lisa Allpress at yesterday's Vintage Summer race day. PHOTO/ FILE

WANGANUI jockey Lisa Allpress is back. The 39-year-old champion jockey rode at her first New Zealand meeting since her temporary return from Asia at yesterday's Vintage Summer Raceday in Wanganui.

Allpress had five races and used the meeting as an opportunity to "get my eye in and keep the fitness up".

She said her international experience had been great and the chance to ride with the best jockeys in the world had been valuable. She wants more.

"Riding internationally is just really where I want to be and obviously the money is a huge factor, you can set yourself up for life," she said.

She had relished the lifestyle in Singapore as well.

The 2011 to 12 premiership winner rode 68 winners in her 18 months in Asia before her contract there was unexpectedly terminated, despite featuring in the top 10 on the jockeys' premiership for the past two seasons. After a couple of months in New Zealand, which will include a start at the Wellington Cup carnival, she hopes to return to Asia where she has applied for contracts.

"Just for another year or so."

Allpress served her apprenticeship at Waverley with Kevin Gray and rode her first winner aboard Final Forecast at Hawera in 1996.

She subsequently created New Zealand turf history in 2013 when she became the first female rider to post 1000 winners with her victory aboard Kekova in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.