Brown faces tough return

TEENAGE jockey Alana Brown returns to the saddle in Darwin meeting at Fannie Bay.

TEENAGE jockey Alana Brown returns to the saddle in Darwin meeting at Fannie Bay.

Brown, who will ride her father Stephen's horse Powlett in race four, the Arafura Tree Services Handicap, could not have asked for a more difficult return.

Alana hurt her lower back and suffered ligament damage during the Darwin Cup Carnival in August and has not ridden since.

But friendly rivalry could be the order of the day for her comeback with her partner Chris Nash saddling up Faster Stronger, ridden by Rian Mageean, in the same race.

"I hope we can go one-two with Powlett winning," Alana said. "I will not be very happy if Faster Stronger wins."

Alana is hoping that Powlett will be on his best behaviour over the 1200m journey tomorrow.

"He can be naughty," she said. "I have never ridden him on race day. I rode him at trackwork on Wednesday and he felt really good.

Alana said she would be speaking with her father about how to ride the five-year-old gelding tomorrow.

"We have been drawn wide so I am hoping to be just off the pace," she said.

Alana believes her main rivals, apart from Faster Stronger, will be the David Jupp-trained gelding Admiral's Order, which has won three of his past five starts, and Big Chance, trained by Gary Clarke.

Big Chance has won two of his past three starts, defeating Admiral's Order into third place at his last outing.

Looking to the future, Alana is happy at present in Darwin having just bought a house and started studying to become a broker's assistant.

"Dad keeps asking me to move to Melbourne to ride for him down there but I am not ready," she said.

While her riding career has been shortened by injury - she suffered knee medial ligament damage in 2012 and was out of action for six months - Alana is pleased with what she has achieved so far.

"I had my first win on The Flying Fox with my first ride," she said.

"I went on to win three on him. Dad was going to sack him. I rode him in a trial and he won by six lengths.

"We won the first race by nine lengths."

Meanwhile, proud dad Stephen will saddle up Mintaro in race seven at Caulfield tomorrow.

"I don't know what to expect," was the trainer's honest assessment. "He may be looking for a spell. I have taken the winkers off."