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By Ray Hickson

Sam Clipperton isn’t going through the motions anymore.

Jockey Sam Clipperton (Pic: Bradley Photos).

In the space of just over a year he experienced the high of winning the world’s richest race on turf to a low of feeling like he’d been forgotten and wanting to step away.

That’s not the Sam Clipperton who returned to the saddle after almost a year’s ‘retirement’ in late November, keen to get back to the top.

“I got to a point where I had to go do something else and experience new things. Challenge myself in a different arena,’’ he said.

“I didn’t want to be doing it half heartedly and I didn’t want to be competing at half pace.

“If you do that you start destroying your reputation, which I spent nearly a lifetime working so hard for.”

That reputation included being a two-time champion Sydney apprentice and multiple Group 1 winning jockey and he could see it fading away.

Racing can exist in a bubble, a little bit like Hollywood. Outside reality.

Unlike Hollywood, a lot of racing participants can walk down the street and go completely unnoticed. Perhaps winning the $20 million TAB Everest on Think About It in 2023 simply came at the wrong time in Clipperton’s life.

He was on a high, the top of the mountain, but the rides started to dry up and he started to wonder what it was all for.

So he got a ‘real job’, working for a stock and station agency in Singleton, and it opened his eyes to everything he’d given away.

“It was a great experience, I learned a different side of what it takes to run a business and saw how hard people work out there,’’ Clipperton said.

“I saw how hard it is to make a dollar and in a way it made me realise how lucky I am to have skills to be able to make a good living out of doing what I really love to do.

“I’ve got a new perspective on riding and a fire that’s been relit.

“It’s what I had for a very long time up until I retired but the passion for riding in racing is back and I’m enjoying the process of rebuilding.”

Later this month Clipperton will be 32, still probably closer to the start of his career than the end, and he says this holiday period was an ideal time to re-enter the jockey ranks.

He’s quickly notched four city winners since Christmas and would like to keep that momentum going at Wyong on Saturday.

“I’ve been getting lots of support which has been great,’’ he said.

“I’ve come back at the right time of the year and I’m really enjoying it. “

He’s looking for back-to-back wins on Unlimited in the Wyong Equine Clinic Handicap (2100m), a horse that’s not unlike himself at the moment – benefiting from confidence boosting wins.

The Chris Waller-trained six-year-old ran right up to good support when scoring an easy victory at Randwick two weeks ago and Clipperton sees no reason why he can’t repeat.

“I think he needed that, but he’s always been capable of pulling out a performance like he did last start,’’ he said.

“He seemed to be racing with a lack of confidence and I think he can bounce off that victory. He’s in a small field, a competitive field, and I think he can hold his form.”

Unlimited, $3.70 with TAB on Friday, was positioned just off the speed and when Clipperton made his move coming to the home turn he asserted his authority.

Unlimited wins at Randwick on December 27

The change to the smaller track shouldn’t hold any fears according to the jockey.

“Luck in running will play its part as it always does from about the 600m especially around Wyong but I expect him to be right in the finish,’’ he said.

Clipperton’s other rides at Wyong are Crusader Kings (TAB Highway), Barbray (De Bortoli Wines Handicap) and Thunderlips (Domeland Wyong Town Plate).

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Wyong