Bayliss returns to trackwork after injury

Jockey Regan Bayliss has taken the next step in his comeback from a broken wrist.

Newmarket Handicap-winning jockey Regan Bayliss has taken the next step in his comeback from a broken wrist by riding trackwork.

Bayliss suffered the injury in a race fall at Geelong on May 19 and returned to trackwork on Monday morning for Lindsay Park.

“I just started off slow,” Bayliss said.

“I rode two gallops at Flemington this morning and I was pretty happy with how the wrist felt.”

Bayliss said he and doctor Gary Zimmerman had earmarked July 22 as the Group One-winning jockey’s return to race riding.

“I think I’ve got a couple of trials on Friday at Flemington and that will give me a better guide on how my wrist is feeling,” he said.

“But at the moment it felt really good this morning so fingers crossed it can keep progressing and I can commence riding on that day.”

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The 20-year-old has ridden 87 winners this season including 32 metropolitan winners in Victoria.

His biggest win came in the Newmarket Handicap on Redkirk Warrior in March, his first Group One victory.

He is looking forward to getting back to the races having been on the sidelines for much of the latter part of the season, first with a careless riding suspension from the Vinery Stud Stakes in Sydney in late March, and then with the injury.

“I had a month suspension in Sydney on Harlow Gold in the Vinery and I was only back for three weeks and this unfortunately happened,” Bayliss said.

“I haven’t been riding much at all lately but none the less I’ve had a fantastic season and I’m looking forward to building on that next season.”

While Bayliss is almost two weeks away from his planned return, multiple Group One-winning jockey Michael Walker is booked to make his race return from a lengthy injury absence on Friday.

Walker has not ridden competitively since February and has since had surgeries on his back and hip.

He started riding trackwork again last week and is booked for rides at Pakenham on Friday and Moe on Saturday.