CASSIDY TO TAKE A WELL-EARNED BREAK

By Matthew Grimson | Friday, June 26, 2009

Jockey Larry Cassidy plans to take some hard-earned rest after Saturday’s Sunshine Coast meeting, in spite of the fact that his quest for an unlikely Brisbane Premiership is still very much alive.

Cassidy gave his competition a healthy start when relocating to Brisbane in January, but he now sits within range of reeling in Premiership leader Shane Scriven. Cassidy is currently nine winners behind the Championship leader.

While Cassidy’s ever-rising total of Metropolitan winners in the past five months stands as a testimony to a superior riding ability, Cassidy’s high profile has been earned as much through good old fashioned hard work as anything else. The incredible statistic of the last five months is not the numbers of winners Cassidy has brought home, but rather the number of rides he has taken – not to mention track-work riding, which he never shirks.

Bear in mind the fact that Cassidy gave his rivals a six month start in terms of the calendar year – and then consider the following.

As at June 20, Cassidy had taken 228 rides at Metropolitan venues in the five months of the current season that he has been based in Queensland. That is 28 rides more than Brad Pengelly and 20 rides more than Glen Colless (the other riders in the top four with Scriven and Cassidy). All of these riders, with the exception of Cassidy, have competed in Queensland for the entire season.

Of course injury and suspension plays in part in restricting the number of rides a jockey can take but, whichever way you look at it, the undeniable fact is that Cassidy has thrown himself 110 percent into his new challenge. For the record, as at June 20, Shane Scriven’s number of rides for the season stood at 263.

Cassidy’s effort represents a workload that few would undertake and even fewer would survive. It was not surprising therefore when Cassidy said that, title aspirations notwithstanding, playing catch up has taken its toll and that his body has to come first.

“Mentally and physically I need a rest,” Cassidy said.

“I’ve been going pretty hard and I am starting to feel the strain of the last few months. I’m pretty tired and I’ve got a niggle or two that just won’t mend.” Cassidy was referring to a finger injury he picked up several months ago.

Given the above statistics, ‘going pretty hard’ is very much an understatement.

Cassidy’s decision to take a break came after weighing up his options, and he specifically took into account the cost of continuing to race and not winning the championship.

“The toll of not taking a break, particularly if I were to miss out on the Championship would make it all the worse,” Cassidy said.

But any suggestion that the ever-competitive Cassidy has given up on the Championship would be amiss. Even though he has booked that two week holiday, success at the Sunshine Coast meeting could see him shorten his vacation to come back and fight for the title.

“I am taking a break regardless,” confirmed Cassidy. “But if I pick up a few winners on Saturday, I might come back a couple earlier than intended.

“I am still chasing the championship,” he said. “It is too early to give it away.”

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