Racing: For Riddell, Australian success has proved worth the wait

Jonathan Riddell. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Very few of us have any idea what Jonathan Riddell goes through week by week.

Or what went through his mind when he finally landed the win on Hastings 3-year-old The Hombre in Saturday's A$125,000 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben.

Riddell has starved himself for two years to ride at even the big weights on the flat after giving flat riding away more than a decade ago to become a jumps jockey because the wasting was devastating his body.

If you'd seen an ashen-faced Riddell after a 57kg ride at the Wellington Cup meeting at Trentham in January last year you wouldn't have left his side until he agreed to give up the madness.

Even he can't describe the feeling of winning a group three race at an Australian carnival on Saturday, albeit he was robbed of half the thrill through having to win the race in the inquiry room.

His dedication to his weight stretched to forcing himself to get on a New Zealand-bound flight in Brisbane after the race when the team behind The Hombre did everything they could to convince him to stay and celebrate.

Riddell won't declare what weight he is at the start of each week and how much he had to lose to ride The Hombre at 56kg.

"Because you probably wouldn't believe it. Let's just say it's significant. How much my body has grabbed back on two hours after a race is also significant." That type of dedication deserves serious payback and Riddell got his at Doomben.

He's now looking forward to the A$500,000 Queensland Derby.

"He's the improving horse. Before Saturday he'd actually never passed a horse in the home straight in a race and won because essentially he didn't know how to. He's always been in front and won. He's learning all the time."

The team has made Riddell promise he'll stay in Brisbane if The Hombre wins the Derby, regardless of his weight.