Two rides at the Warrnambool May Carnival for Braidon Small

After a single ride on the flat, Braidon Small was back in action over hurdles on Tuesday after some time on the sidelines. 

While a ride at Kyneton on April 11 was the official return to race riding for Braidon Small, it was on Tuesday that he got back to doing what he does best, riding over hurdles at Warrnambool, less than 11 months since undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour. 

Braidon Small has only ridden 40 winners so far in a career that saw him take his first ride in 2012. It has been a struggle for a number of years to be able to get rides but he would face an even bigger battle in 2023 when Small was diagnosed with brain cancer for a second time in his life.  
 
May 14 2023 was the last time that he rode last year, a winner from two rides at Casterton. That came on Killourney in a maiden hurdle for the Paul Preusker stable. 33 of his 40 wins have come in a hurdle or a chase, making his mark in jump racing. 

Brain cancer diagnosis 

2023 was not the first time that Small has faced a struggle away from the track. In 2019 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour which was found after having a fall at Pakenham. A scan revealed bleeding on the brain but also a tumour. 
 
Small was remarkably going through chemotherapy early in 2023 before surgery was required to remove a tumour last June. To be able to come through that and come back to ride is nothing short of incredible but Small is known in the jockey’s room as a tough and hardy hoop with a great attitude so it is no surprise that everyone in racing was keen to back him to return.  

Return to the saddle at Kyneton 

April 11 was the date that Small first got back in the saddle in a race. Arassem, trained by Simon Ryan was a well-beaten fifth in a maiden at Kyneton. As a $61 roughie, there were no expectations of it being a successful return in terms of being competitive but it was a first step to normality. 
 
Held up out the back of the field, Small would pick off half the field late on in that contest. It was a ride to show that he was still able to do it after a pair of hurdles trials on April 3 at Yarra Valley, including on Arassem.  

Second and fifth on Warrnambool rides 

The Warrnambool May Carnival are three days that all jump jockeys look forward to every year. Small got back there with two rides on the Tuesday card, one of which he finished second on, not quite a fairytale comeback but not missing out by much. 
 
Small’s first ride of the day came on Arassem again and although this was a hurdle race, it was a similar story on the $81 roughie. Held up at the back of the field, he would pick a few off as the race went on but never enough to get into a challenging position but that is down to the limited ability of a 20-race maiden than anything Small did. 
 
Wilewink stood more of a chance of saluting in race two and he was in front in the latter stages of the contest before being overhauled late on. Wilewink is in the care of Aaron Purcell who has given Small lots of rides down the years so it would have been an appropriate winner but it does look like Small will be back saluting soon. 

The fight and desire of Braidon Small to return to the saddle is a testament to his attitude to what he loves to do. Fighting off brain cancer twice, it will be a great fillip to all who have been fighting themselves to see Small back race riding once more.