Racing: Te Akau job may tempt jockey home

The strongest tip in racing is that Michael Walker will be back in New Zealand in August riding for Mark Walker's Te Akau Racing Stables.

Singapore-based Michael Walker is in New Zealand briefly and will ride at New Plymouth's inter-provincial raceday on Saturday.

Walker confirmed to the Herald yesterday that he has been offered the No 1 position at Te Akau in Matamata.

The stable position became available when Opie Bosson, sick of the effects of wasting, gave riding away.

The high-profile Walker said he had not spoken to Mark Walker since he arrived back in New Zealand last Saturday night, but would do so in the next few days.

"I'm weighing things up in my mind," said Walker yesterday.

He said he was happy with his results in Singapore, even with only nine wins in his first three months. He has a further three months to serve on his contract to the stable of New Zealand trainer Paddy Busuttin.

Walker is currently serving a two-week suspension he copped in Singapore and is able to return to the raceday saddle after Friday night.

He said it was not simply the monetary returns that would sway him between New Zealand and Singapore.

"The positives of riding in Singapore are that there is no travelling to meetings and if you go well the financial return is excellent.

"The heat is a big negative. The temperatures when you ride at the day meetings are at times unbearable. Another negative is that it is more difficult to keep your weight down riding only once a week then every two weeks out of three.

"You tend to find that if you put liquid into your body, your body will hold onto it. As a result of that I can't ride as light in Singapore as I can in New Zealand.

"I rode 50kg when I was based in Melbourne and can ride at 52kg here in New Zealand, but I try not to take mounts with less than 53.5kg or 54kg in Singapore."

Walker said he swam a lot in Singapore and played squash, but weight was a constant thought.

Yesterday he looked over the New Plymouth farm he operates as an aggistment and pre-training establishment, before leaving for Melbourne. He is looking for a property at Matamata.

On Monday, Walker returns to Singapore, where another New Zealand rider, Mark Du Plessis, heads the jockeys' premiership.