Michael Rodd’s glittering career flashed before his eyes when he was on the sidelines for 30 months, but he landed the biggest win of his comeback to racing on Saturday.

Trenton Akers

December 2, 2023 - 4:12PM

Melbourne Cup winner Michael Rodd has experienced the highs and lows of racing and began his trek back to the sport’s penthouse with his first stakes win since returning from post-concussion syndrome which kept him on the sidelines for 30 months.

Rodd has slowly been ramping up his return to the saddle and landsed his biggest win since May 15 2021 when he landed a timed-to-perfection ride on Beautantes for trainer Rob Heathcote in the Listed Pierata Plate (1200m).

After linking up with the renowned Dr Brett Jarosz in Melbourne, Rodd has retrained his brain to shake the post-concussion symptoms, which saw even the most simple household tasks leaving him exhausted.

On Saturday, he was back to his best, with a jubilant Heathcote declaring: “How good is it to have M Rodd back?”

Rodd is adamant he always believed he’d make it back to the winners’ circle and says it was even sweeter to do it a $26 chance.

“The last few months before I started back riding I thought I’d get back here because of how good I was going away from the track,” Rodd said.

“I had little markers I could gauge myself on, times I was running 5km in or the body weight exercises I was doing, I was going through the roof.

“I was always thinking that if I could get back on the track, it was going to happen for me, I didn’t think it was going to be a problem.”

It continues an extraordinary run for the family, with Beautantes a half brother to Group 1 winner Startantes and stakes winner Ekaterina.

“It’s amazing to be back, on a horse like that which was a bit of an outsider, he was the only maiden in the field, is is pretty special,” Rodd said.

“He is really fit so I thought our best opportunity to beat these horses was to be in front, if I was back with them in the ruck they were going to be pretty classy.

“Before we straightened up, that’s where we won the race, I gave him a squeeze and put a few lengths on them, they couldn’t close the margin.”