Queensland apprentice eyes claim for Sydney stint on comeback trail

Promising Queensland apprentice Jai Williams is taking it one step at a time after coming out the other side of a nasty fall and post-concussion syndrome with a new perspective.

The lure of Sydney racing, though, has him open to offers as he prepares for his first time riding in the elite district on Saturday at Rosehill.

The 22-year-old picked up rides on Bjorn Baker-trained last-start heavy-track winners Hezdarnhottoo and Mawjood after putting out feelers for the Rosehill card while the Queensland winter carnival takes centre stage and he tries to gain momentum following four months on the sidelines.

Williams was in the hunt for the Brisbane apprentices’ title, with 18 wins at a strike rate of better than 20 per cent, when he suffered a punctured lung and concussion in a fall at Beaudesert on February 6. He returned last Saturday and was excited to be heading to Sydney, where he hoped to attract attention from top trainers for a potential move.

“I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket and get my hopes up because there’s some good apprentices down there with good heads on their shoulders, like Braith Nock and Siena Grima,” Williams said.

“I was going to go two or three times and see if I get an offer, and then hopefully me and my partner can move down.

“You don’t know what can happen, so I’m just going to take it step by step, and just worry about getting my weight down first.

“You’ve just got to keep grinding away. but everything is going well and it’s good to be back, especially getting these big supporters straight away.”

The three-kilogram claimer, who is apprenticed to Paul Shailer, rides Hezdarnhottoo ($5) in race seven and Mawjood ($4.80) in the last, although the latter could be scratched because of a wide draw.

Mawjood won two weeks ago at Rosehill, while Hezdarnhottoo is coming off a trend-defying victory along the rails at Caulfield.

“They are in great form and I’m pretty excited,” Williams said.

“Hopefully with the three kilos off, I can get some winners.”

Williams said he struggled mentally in the aftermath of the fall and dealing with his missed chance at the apprentices’ title.

“I probably sat there and sooked for an extra month or two than I should have. I probably should have just toughened up and got back, but I was just in a big rut and just digging myself a hole. But I’ve dropped the shovel and I’m climbing out.

“Everyone goes through something like this, and I’m glad I’ve already done it at a young age.

“It was all about the bling and the nice cars before, but now it’s let’s buy a house before something else co