3 minute read

Promising apprentice Taylor Johnstone makes her long-awaited return to race riding in Hobart on Sunday after a broken collarbone sidelined her for four months and has set her sights trying to win the apprentice title.

As it stands Taylor Johnstone sits on 21 wins for the season, seven behind leader Chelsea Baker with 10 meetings remaining.

"100% that's my goal at the moment, I'll just try and get on the best horse I can and ride them the best I can and see if I can do it. I think it's possible if I can come back and do all the right things, I think it's doable but it will be very hard," Johnstone said.

Johnstone has picked up six rides, all for the Seven Mile Beach team of Scott Brunton and his partner Tegan Keys.

"I've been doing a fair bit of track work for him and you know, you do the work for people and they put you on and he has been really supportive,"

Johnstone says it's been frustrating sitting on the sidelines, particularly as the collarbone took longer to heal than initially expected.

"It was very difficult having time off and doing nothing when I've been used to working every day. I didn't expect to be out for four months, there was a time when it wasn't progressing at all and that was very frustrating. For the first couple of months, I wasn't able to do too much because I was in a sling, but I was trying to keep as active as I could."

The injury cost Johnstone the chance to represent Tasmania at the National Apprentice Race Series. She had been selected to ride at Sandown in Melbourne.

"That was very disappointing, I had been excited to get the opportunity to go and ride in Melbourne for the first time."

The fall that sidelined Johnstone came during track work at Brighton. "The horse I was on is probably one of the quietest horses that we have at the stable and she just tripped over pulling up and I went straight over her head and landed on my collarbone."

Johnstone showed she has lost nothing while out of the saddle with two winners from four trial rides in Hobart last week and said there were no issues with the injury.

As for making inroads on the premiership table, Johnstone says her best-winning chances on Sunday are Street Tough in race six and Ole Ola in the seventh but also gives her first ride back Gone Global in race one an each-way hope.

It's Pink Cup Day on Sunday with lots of fundraising activities including auctions and raffles supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

First race at 11.55 with the last of eight at 16.11. All the action on TasracingTV and Sky channel.