Racing: Premiership winner seals trip to Japan

Lisa Allpress rides Sai Fah in the Ryder Stakes at Otaki today. Photo / Trish Dunell

Lisa Allpress has achieved a major career goal with an invitation to ride in the World All-Stars Jockeys series in Japan.

Allpress announced the invitation on social media this week, posting: "Smiling because I'm off to Japan! So happy to be invited to the world jockey series in Sapporo 24th and 25th August."

The now three-time national premiership-winning jockey said she had always envied the likes of David Walsh and Lance O'Sullivan getting to ride in the Japanese event and desperately wanted to participate herself.

"It's something I set my sights on from when Karl and I moved to Whanganui about seven years ago. I wanted to win a premiership so I could get that trip to Japan," Allpress said.

While she was gutted to miss out on an invitation to the series after her first two premiership wins, Allpress gets to fulfil her dream next month.

"When I started riding, I remember David Walsh, Lance O'Sullivan and Jim Collett getting to go to Japan for that series, then Leith Innes and Opie Bosson later on, and I thought it would be so cool to win a premiership so I could compete on the world stage as an international rider," she said.

"It's taken a while and there's been a couple of disappointments but I'm rapt that I'll actually get my chance now. This will be the fourth time I've ridden in Japan but the first time I've ridden at Sapporo."

Allpress will round off her premiership-winning season at Otaki today, where she combines with the Stephen Marsh-trained Sai Fah in the Ryder Stakes (1200m). The Rios colt is a $5.50 second favourite with TAB bookmakers behind London Bound at $2.50 after a strong win at Te Rapa last Saturday.

"He's shown a lot of form all the way through. To win the first 2-year-old race of the season and go on to win in July takes some doing and that's a credit to Stephen Marsh and his team. He's a very good ride to have," Allpress said. "It's a strong field, with the likes of London Bound and Jager Bombed, but I'm quite happy to be riding my horse."

Allpress, who needs just three victories to bring up 1500 wins in New Zealand, held off her good mate Johnathan Parkes to win the premiership in a season where she has won 130 races, including the Group 1 NZ Oaks (2400m) at Trentham aboard the Lisa Latta-trained Sentimental Miss.

- NZ Racing Desk