Returning jockey out to get back to his Best

By Jordan Gerrans

Comeback hoop Adam Best is keen to cement himself as a ‘FIFO’ rider throughout Central and North Queensland as his return to the saddle on race day builds momentum.

The 40-year-old Best took his first ride back in more than three years at Gayndah last Saturday afternoon.

The Sunshine Coast-based Best makes the trip to Wondai this Saturday with four bookings.

The former city-level rider is interested in joining the likes of Justin Stanley, Jason Taylor, among others, who fly from South East Queensland to the north of the state for their mid-week provincial meetings.

“Have saddle will travel, so that will be the motto,” Best said.

“I am keen to get up north to Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns and all these places.”

Best has more than 50 metropolitan winners on his resume and has ridden in several Group 1s after more than two decades in the saddle.

It has been stop-start for the hoop in recent campaigns.

While he has always ridden track work, he wanted to take a break from race riding to concentrate on his family and children over the last three years.

“Now is the time to get back into it and do something I enjoy,” the returning rider said.

“I only started missing race riding once I got close to returning, that was when I got excited about coming back.”

He rode work for Darryl Hansen and Gary Duncan while he was away from race day commitments and has over the last nine months linked up with Stuart Kendrick.

“He is flying, everything from the stable he turns out is winning at the moment,” Best said of Kendrick.

“He has got a really good system going and he is a pleasure to work for, as well.

“I really enjoy working with Stuart, as I did with the others before that.”

Best enjoyed his greatest success earlier in his career for Toowoomba horse trainer Mark Webb after completing his apprenticeship under the now retired Bryan Guy.

As well as riding work, Best also worked behind the barriers at Caloundra on race day over the past year.

“Watching horses canter to the barriers, that was when I began to miss it, when I was leading jockey’s in,” he said.

He will ride at 56.5kgs on Saturday at South Burnett Race Club and is keen to get down to 54kgs in the coming months.

Kappy Cino for trainer Jackie Crompton is the pick of Best’s rides for Saturday, he says.

Kappy Cino will contest the Wondai Cup, which is also a qualifying event for the Country Cups Challenge Final.

“He is an old horse that is good on his day and can race well,” Best said.

“It will be about if he can handle the sand at Wondai.”

The Wondai Cup champion will progress to the decider in Brisbane on December 2 for $200,000 over 1600 metres.

Neville O'Toole’s Sea Commits is also a good chance on Saturday, according to Best, as the mare tackles a Benchmark 60 event.