Victorian jockey Jason Lyon riding winners in the Darwin Carnival after back surgery

IT was only early this year when Victorian jockey Jason Lyon wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of a car or even sit down. But tomorrow, he is a big chance in the $55,000 Chief Minister’s Cup

Victorian jockey Jason Lyon, who maintains the lawns at Darwin Turf Club after riding trackwork in the mornings, is a good chance on experienced mare Pretty Blonde on Saturday. Picture: JUSTIN KENNEDY

IT was only early this year when Victorian jockey Jason Lyon wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of a car or even sit down.

He was coming off back surgery to fix a bulging disk and it was the same operation champion hoop Luke Nolen went though in Melbourne.

Now Lyon is back riding winners and even helping out with gardening and lawn maintenance at the Darwin Turf Club, after he finishes trackwork riding sessions from 5am every day.

And he will be aboard experienced eight-year-old mare Pretty Blonde — for Kym Healy — in the $55,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay tomorrow.

It was Nolen — aboard the famous Black Caviar during 22 of her 25 consecutive wins — who gave Lyon some shrewd advice on how to bounce back from his surgery in February.

“It was keyhole surgery and they shaved the disc to reduce the leg pain,” Lyon said.

“I’d stand up and get a lot of leg pain shooting down. After the operation I wasn’t allowed to sit. I had to keep a straight back for four weeks.

“I wasn’t allowed to drive. Luke helped me with pointers with the rehab — a lot of core strength exercises have helped a lot.

“I got out of hospital and was riding trackwork 12 weeks later. I’ve been back riding trackwork since late May.”

And he has not missed a beat since — Lyon has ridden three winners in the three weeks he has been in Darwin, after returning to racing following six months out.

Those winners were Rakitiki (for trainer Neil Dyer on July 1), and First Draft (Danny Penna) and Folk Tales (Richard Laming) last Saturday.

He rates all three highly, and has a good chance on Pretty Blonde tomorrow.

“She’s a really good old mare and has won almost $600,000 in prizemoney, and she’s won the Darwin Cup, a couple of Alice Springs Cups and a Broome Cup,” Lyon said.

“So we expect her to run really well. I rode her first up (from a two-month spell for the ROANT Gold Cup on July 1, before finishing eighth).

“She got a long way back but hit the line really well and I expect her to run super.

“(Tomorrow) is probably still a bit short for her, but she’s definitely a good chance.”

Riding good horses during the Carnival is one thing, but Lyon is just happy to be back at full health again.

It was only last October when he enjoyed a purple patch in form, with seven winners from 14 starts, including the 2016 Deniliquin Cup.

But then his back flared up in mid-December and he only returned to the Top End just before the start of the Darwin Cup Carnival. Lyon — who has also suffered fractures in both knees and a broken jaw previously — says he feels great.

“I had such a long time out, and I had to ease back into it with a lot of trackwork and core-strength exercises,” he said. “But my body’s feeling great at the moment, and I’ve had three winners in as many meetings since I’ve come back.

“I want to get as many wins throughout the Carnival as I can.”

Lyon sets up sprinklers, plants flowers and installs new seats in the grandstand at the Fannie Bay racecourse after his early-morning trackwork sessions. “I’ve learnt some new things along the way and I’m enjoying it — I hadn’t done any work maintaining lawns in the past,” he said.