Racing: Peripatetic big-race rider looking to come home

Grant Cooksley is only weeks away from returning home to New Zealand permanently.

The highly successful senior jockey has spent the past year riding in Malaysia, which followed three years in Singapore.

Cooksley turned up at Te Rapa on Saturday for his first ride in New Zealand for some time.

Tauranga trainer Jim Pender reaped the benefit when Cooksley got outsider Scarlet Rose home a winner by half a head after a desperate struggle with Gristle and Cameron Lammas. It was a classic example of why trainers have sought Cooksley's vast experience for the big occasion, and especially in staying races.

"Gee, he's top class, isn't he," said Pender as he watched Cooksley bring Scarlet Rose back.

Cooksley has arrived back in time for the big-money Hastings treble.

"I'll stay here until the Mudgway Stakes then go back and ride at a Penang meeting. I'll be back for the second day at Hastings and probably won't go back to Malaysia again," said Cooksley in his characteristic casual manner.

Cooksley was quick to rule out any suggestion that he might be on the verge of retirement.

'Definitely not."

At $18 punters may have given up on Scarlet Rose, but not her trainer.

"She's been unlucky and she's been ridden upside down more than once. She's got to be ridden cold and I said to Grant to make sure he dropped her back."

They were almost wasted words.

Cooksley has made patient riding from the back with characteristic late dashes his trademark for more than two decades. Perhaps it goes back to the days when he mixed flat and jumping races.

Scarlet Rose is eight and as the veteran of 68 races, she is running out of time to grab black type for her pedigree page.

"I'm setting her for the rescheduled Kiwifruit Cup on her home track at Tauranga and hopefully she can finally get the black type," Pender said.

The underrated Gristle looked certain to win at the 250m before Scarlet Rose challenged. The lead see-sawed between the two from the 100m with Cooksley almost pushing the mare over the line.

Favourites Grani and Expectalite beat only Simply Regal home.