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Spriggs taking the hard road for Group 1 success

jackmarshall23 new author
Roar Rookie
24th April, 2017
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There is a lot of good racing this weekend. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
jackmarshall23 new author
Roar Rookie
24th April, 2017
2

Group 1-winning jockey Blake Spriggs is determined to come back from injury and recapture some of his success from last Spring.

Spriggs fell from his mount, Minute Silence, at Hawksbury on February 9 and initial scans found he had fractured his patella right down the middle and he also received a significant gash above his eye.

The initial report was six weeks on the sideline but further complications from the break involving the ligaments surrounding the knee forced him to delay his return for a further five weeks to focus on strengthening the knee.

Currently at the ten-week mark of his rehabilitation Spriggs is working harder than ever to get back to the track. Teaming up with former Rabbitohs NRL player Scott Geddes at his gym has been greatly beneficial to the process.

“Training with Scott has been great, if anyone knows anything about coming back from knee injuries it would be Scott, so he has used that knowledge to help me get back to the track,” Spriggs said.

“With me being a Dragons supporter, Scott has pushed me a little harder but it’s all trying to get me back to 100 per cent.”

Spriggs’ success over the past year has spurred him on to return to riding and back in the Group 1 spotlight.

“Obviously riding in a Melbourne Cup is every jockey’s dream and to do it last year was something I will never forgot but it has given me a taste for it and I’m itching to get back there.

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“I have a meeting with the surgeon next week (April 27) and hopefully all going well I can resume riding trackwork the next morning (the 28th).

“After that it looks like May second at Cessnock will be my first meeting back race riding. It will be good to get back into it at a place where I have had ridden plenty of winners.”

Spriggs is hoping to continue his successful partnership with Waratah Thoroughbreds (whose horse, Sir John Hawkwood, gave him his maiden Group 1 and Melbourne Cup ride) heading into the Winter Carnival in Queensland.

“I look to have a few good rides up there this year with Maurus looking like he is heading towards a Doomben Cup and Astronomous also heading up there. Also, there are a few nice two-year-old’s I had been riding that look like they will be competitive at a winter carnival”.

Spriggs is confident that he can continue his successful run when he returns and with the support of plenty of strong owners and trainers believes that a chance for a second Group 1 is only around the corner.

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