Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Steven King is ready to return to race riding from a lengthy injury absence.

He just needs to get the rides to kick things off.

The jockey broke four metatarsal bones in his foot when a horse he had just partnered to victory at Ballarat in April veered into the running rail and dumped King who landed awkwardly.

King, whose biggest wins include the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups on Let's Elope in 1991 and Cox Plate on Fields Of Omagh in 2003, has been back riding work for about eight weeks and was hoping to return at Flemington on Saturday.

"I'm basically due back from Thursday onwards and now it's just a matter of when I bounce the ball, when I can get a couple of rides," King said.

"The problem is my weight is still a bit heavy. Once I get my weight down to a more competitive level that will be better.

"I'm putting myself out there and just seeing what's available."

King has been riding work at Lloyd Williams' property and also at Flemington, and he has competed in jump-outs in the past couple of weeks.

He said he could ride at about 57.5kg initially but expects his weight to come down once he starts riding in races.

"I've done as much as I can do at trackwork, now I've got to get back to the races," he said.

"Once I get back to race riding I can get the weight down a bit more."

King was originally told he could be out for 12 to 18 months but set himself the goal to be back in time for the autumn carnival.