The racing season is drawing to a close but jockey Vlad Duric is raring to start up again after an injury-inforced lay-off.

Duric returns from a thumb injury at Caulfield on Wednesday with four rides as he works his way back to full race fitness ahead of the new season.

The Group One-winning hoop has not ridden in a race since mid-May because of ligament damage.

"I've had itchy feet for a week or so but I picked this as the day to come back so I'm just looking forward to getting back to the races and hopefully building up a bit of form," Duric said.

Duric's four Caulfield mounts are at 58kg or more but the jockey said his weight would be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

"Saturday I will ride 56 kilos and up, and I've got a goal to try to be back down riding the minimum in two weeks," he said.

"It's a little bit difficult at this time of year with the cold weather, but it will come off with a bit of extra race riding."

Duric's first ride back is on the Mick Kent-trained Aristarchus and he rates the galloper as his best chance for a win.

The jockey, who won the Group One Robert Sangster Stakes on Driefontein in April and is sixth in the Melbourne premiership, also partners two-year-old Just For Starters, Zellindi and Evie Rose but said there was no standout among his rides.

"I think Mick Kent's horse in the maiden is probably the pick of them," Duric said.

Melbourne's top apprentices will continue their battle for the junior riders' premiership with front-runner Katelyn Mallyon booked for four rides at the midweek meeting.

Mallyon, who rode a winning double at Flemington on Saturday, leads Jye McNeil by two winners with Harry Coffey a further win behind in the metropolitan standings.

McNeil has six rides at Caulfield - the third last city meeting of the season - while Coffey is booked for five rides.