TOP jockey Craig Williams won't have long to get over his jet-lag after returning from a successful five-week riding stint to Japan, reports The Age. It says: Williams who rode To The Glory into third place in the Arima Kinen (2500 metres) at Nakayama on Boxing Day arrives at Tullamarine this morning before heading straight to Betfair Park (Sandown) for five rides. ''He said he was keen to ride at Betfair Park but wanted to ease himself in, so I've limited him to five rides,'' Williams' manager,

TOP jockey Craig Williams won't have long to get over his jet-lag after returning from a successful five-week riding stint to Japan, reports The Age.

It says: Williams who rode To The Glory into third place in the Arima Kinen (2500 metres) at Nakayama on Boxing Day arrives at Tullamarine this morning before heading straight to Betfair Park (Sandown) for five rides.

''He said he was keen to ride at Betfair Park but wanted to ease himself in, so I've limited him to five rides,'' Williams' manager, Mark Guest, said.

None of his rides will start favourite but such was Williams' form before his Japan trip that bookmakers are sure to take no risks. Well known as one of the hardest-working jockeys in the country, Williams won the group 1 Railway Stakes in Perth on November 20 but returned to Victoria to ride a winner at the Ballarat Cup meeting the following day before heading to Japan.

He was leading the Melbourne metropolitan jockeys premiership on 26 wins, one clear of Luke Nolen, but has lost considerable ground. Nolen, who is aiming for back-to-back premierships, is now 10 wins ahead of Williams on 36, while Ben Melham, who is third, has made up nine winners on Williams.