APPRENTICE jockey Shanae O’Meara’s comeback 2.0 – which has been running red hot – just hit another speed hump.
The 23-year-old, who has spent the better part of two years recovering from well-documented and potentially career-ending injuries, was finally back in the saddle after nine months on the sidelines with a severe back injury.
Her first race was a second at Geelong on October 19 and on Friday she was back at Geelong and booted home another winner.
Now she faces steroid injections into both knees to treat Baker’s cyst, a problem she had when she was younger and which has come back to haunt her, just as she had things going in the right direction.
A Baker’s cyst is a fluid-filled growth behind the knee. It causes a bulge, a feeling of tightness and sometimes pain – which can get worse with activity or when fully straightening or bending the knee.
A serious bell ringer for jockeys.
“I had it as a kid, but now I have it again – I met with VRC medical officer Gary Zimmerman and he agreed the cortisone shots would be the best next step, and I will be having those on February 1,” O’Meara said.
“Hopefully the steroids, and having the knee drained, will do the trick because the next option is surgery and that might mean even more time out of racing.
“With two winners from just a handful of rides I was going really well, so this is quite frustrating.”
Apart from her ongoing fractured back (and ankle with ruptured ligaments and bone bruising) recovery, 2022 was a pretty big year for O’Meara, who has swapped stables, leaving master Austy Coffey in Swan Hill to join Cranbourne-based John and Gerard Moloney.
She said after her two bad falls, an extensively disrupted apprenticeship and the distance of getting to tracks from Swan Hill helped her make the big decision.
Originally joining the Moloneys on a three-month trial, she made the move formal – and permanent – in August.
Basing herself in Melbourne has also been an exciting part of the move and she said she was looking forward to the next stage of her career.
“The win on Legionnaire on Friday was my first for the Moloneys, so it was an absolute thrill,” O’Meara said.
“John and Gerard Moloney’s team had Legionnaire in good order, looking fit and well.
“And my win on him also quickly ticked off one of my goals for 2023, I am now down to my 3kg claim.”
Speaking on camera after the win proved emotionally overwhelming for the young rider, who started getting teary as she thanked John and Gerard Moloney – and her family – for “getting me back through another tough year”.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who helped me get back to the races,” she said.
That included a lot of support and advice from her VRC mentor, retired superstar jockey Darren Gauci.
Her Friday win on Legionnaire was a masterclass in frontrunning as she took out the $27,000 Viatek Fujifilm BM58 over 1323m.
“I had galloped him on the Tuesday and knew he was in good order and thought he would tough it out,” O’Meara said.
The horse had been well backed, being sent out second favourite at $4.40, making the most of O’Meara’s 4kg claim.
As the field straightened for the run home, she stole a break on Legionnaire and as they headed for him there was a huge gap between her and the other runners, eventually winning by almost four lengths being eased down.
