KEY POINTS:
One of Australia's finest riders, Steven King, is set to make his comeback to race riding on January 12 after he gained a clearance from his doctor yesterday.
The 38-year-old suffered a spiral fracture to his left leg in a barrier mishap at Seymour in August and will start riding trackwork for Leon Corstens this week.
"It will be five months by the time I start riding in races," King said.
"The leg is fine. I've done everything I can possibly do - except ride a horse."
The injury cost King, who has an outstanding record in staying events, the entire spring carnival and he is keen to resume his career which has so far netted him 53 group one victories.
His greatest spring carnival came in 1991 when he completed the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double aboard Kiwi-bred super mare Let's Elope for legendary trainer Bart Cummings.
King has managed to keep his weight down with physio, gym work and farm work on his Riddells Creek property north-west of Melbourne.
He was on crutches for the first two to three months of the longest break from riding he's had in his career.
King's weight didn't get past 60kg and he has got it back to 56kg and will work on losing further kilos in earnest from January 1.
He said smart sprinter Let Go Thommo could run in the group three A$100,000 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on January 12 which would be a good way to start his comeback.
"That's the starting date and I'll go from there," he said last night.
- AAP
