MELBOURNE - Top jockey Greg Childs returns to the local racing scene after a successful seven-week stint in Singapore with six good rides at Caulfield today.
Childs said he had not ridden in Australia since the Adelaide Cup meeting at Morphettville about three months ago.
He had a two-week holiday before taking up a contract in Singapore as a club jockey from June 10 and had a great strike rate there, riding 18 winners from 72 rides.
Childs received mounts from leading trainer Malcolm Thwaites and Michael Kent, second on the list, and is currently the leading visiting jockey in Singapore.
"I had a lot of luck with Malcolm," Childs said.
A refreshed Childs received a boost yesterday when New Zealand trainer Trevor McKee rang him telling him champion mare Sunline would now resume racing in the group one Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley next week.
"That's great for me," he said.
Childs has ridden the champion mare nine times for seven wins, three of them at group one level including the 1999 Cox Plate.
After the dual Victorian jockeys' premiership winner rides at the J J Liston Stakes meeting on August 26, he'll make a hit-and-run visit back to Singapore to ride Daylami's brother Daymati in the Queen Elizabeth Cup the following day at Kranji for the Kent stable.
"Daymati is nowhere near as good as Daylami, but he is getting his act together," Childs said.
"I've won two races on him and that's why I'm going back to ride him."
Childs said the rushed trip would not be an interruption here as there is no city meeting on the Sunday and he would return on the Monday and be ready to ride trackwork the following morning.
His mounts at Caulfield today, where the track is rated heavy, include Sarwatch (6-1), a newcomer to the Lee Freedman stable, in the Scobie Breasley Handicap (1000m).
Sarwatch, by Jetball from Riverina Charm, is a group two winner of the Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on January 3.
She had two starts in Sydney during the autumn, finishing a close fourth to Hill Of Grace in the Ansett Australia Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill and 11th to Coco Cobanna in the AJC Oaks (2400m) at Randwick before being spelled.
First-up last preparation Sarwatch won the group three Highview Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on a slow track last September, so she is certainly capable of sprinting well while fresh.
Childs is engaged to ride two favourites in Happy Star (3-1) in The Phantom Handicap (1600m) and Nova Clause (9-2) in the August Handicap (1200m). He'll also pilot So Gorgeous (6-1) in the Shankhill Lass Handicap (1100m), Foxman (6-1) in the Lincoln Handicap (2010m) and Niavnek (7-1) in the Heath Handicap.
Racing: Childs catches top rides
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