Wesley ‘Callaloo’ Henry, a longtime favourite with local racing fans, says he has returned to competitive race riding in Jamaica after four years to test the talent of the riders at Caymanas Park and to ride winners.

The 40-year-old Henry said that he is happy to be home and that his main goal at the moment is to finish in the top 10 list of riders at the Park.

“It feels really good to be home where I started my career in 1996. I am happy to be home to ride against my fellow jockeys,” Henry told the Complete Racing Guide.

“I returned last Tuesday and everything has been going good so far. I have set a goal for myself; I want to test the talent of these young riders. I am targeting a top 10 finish in this year’s jockeys’ championships. I didn’t ride any winners last Saturday, but I am just getting warmed up,” he said. Henry had seven mounts on the 10-race programme on Saturday.

He then cited the main reason for returning to the land of his birth.

“I was in North American mostly riding at tracks in Miami, New York, Florida like Belmont, Aqueduct, Gulfstream, to name a few. I went to Canada to ride recently before I went home to Miami where I lived. But it was a friend in Jamaica that asked me to come back here to ride, and so I decided to come,” he explained.

He said that the experience gained from riding overseas was invaluable and so he wanted to showcase this experience to Jamaicans.

“It has been four years since I left Jamaica, so I said why not come to showcase my talent. The experience was good riding overseas, I have learnt a lot while riding abroad. I have won a lot of races up there; I average like 40 races per year, which is very good for a Jamaican rider. So I just want to demonstrate to everybody how invaluable riding overseas is and how it can change and elevate one’s career,” he pointed out.

“I don’t know how long I will be here riding, but I just want to ride some winners,” he ended.