Dylan Dunn returning to the jockey ranks

With unfinished business as a jockey and his weight now under control, former champion Melbourne apprentice Dylan Dunn is making a comeback.

And the 23-year-old says he’s more motivated than ever.

Dunn has not ridden in a race since January last year and announced his retirement as a jockey a few months later.

But he returned to trackwork recently and took another step in his comeback, riding in official barrier trials on Monday at Wodonga.

He anticipates a race return either this weekend or early next week.

“When I first had to leave the sport I had been wasting pretty hard trying to win the premiership and it really just left me sick and my weight uncontrollable,” he said.

“I had to really re-evaluate my whole riding career and thought I’d take a break.

“I didn’t plan on coming back, but in my time off I let my body recover and saw a nutritionist and started to really work on it.

“I’ve got down to 58 kilos which leaves me in a weight area where I can still get sufficient rides to be able to make a living.”

Dunn said he had been riding work for Godolphin for the past three weeks.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to come back but it’s something that I love doing and I still think there’s a few unturned stones that I would like to overturn and try to chase that Group One win,” he said.

“I think that makes a massive difference to when you retire, being a part of that group.

“I had some great success as an apprentice but I’ll come back as a senior rider this time, ready to strive for bigger and better things.”