Latest news with #jockey
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Success is baked for rising star apprentice jockey Jaylah Kennedy
Rising star Jaylah Kennedy is second in pursuit of the Melbourne apprentice jockey title but certainly atop the popularity stakes for sharing home-baked sweet treats on race day. A decadent batch of 'brookies', combined brownie and chocolate chip cookie slice, cut into jockey portion-sized squares, attracted rave reviews last Wednesday at Sandown. Kennedy is lucky to be genetically-blessed to indulge her passion for cooking and baking, an unlikely pastime for most jockeys given the importance of weight management. 'It's a little thing I enjoy doing on the side, when I'm not riding light,' Kennedy said. 'It's cold in winter, so nice to bring something in that can warm peoples' tummies. 'I love cooking, I love baking, I just bought a house and it's got a nice kitchen so I'm making use of it. 'I'm lucky I'm four foot nine … any taller and if I cooked and bake like I do, I probably wouldn't be a jockey.' Jockeys, trainers, race-day officials and stewards polished the brookies last Wednesday. 'I told the stewards they can't suspend me if they're going to eat my baking,' Kennedy laughed. 'I made them bite-sized jockey pieces so everyone could enjoy.' Kennedy has six rides at Flemington on Saturday, including the electric Bold Bastille in the last. 'She's naturally very speedy, I made my way to Werribee the other day to trial her, hoping to keep her race day first-up, and she did everything right,' Kennedy said. 'She pulled up like a horse ready to go to the races now … first up she could be maybe that little bit vulnerable late but … she'll be there to take a bit of running down.' Kennedy has ridden 20 city winners to date this season, one less than clubhouse leader Tom Prebble, a friend and fellow fourth-year apprentice. Prebble has the stronger hand on Saturday with six rides, including favourites Splash Back and Jimmy The Bear. 'I've been going to the races thinking anything can happen lately,' Kennedy said. 'An open book and try not to overthink this. Hopefully it's a good weekend. 'It comes down to the support you've got around you, I've been getting a lot of good opportunities with a lot of big stables … it's always good to be able to repay them. 'This is my first full season riding in town and I'm happy with how things are going, hopefully we can tick off the metro premiership, it's a really big goal of mine this season. 'It's pretty competitive between me and Tom Prebble, he's one of my best mates but at the same I'd be happy to be in first place and him second.' Apprentice jockeys rode five of the nine winners last Saturday at Sandown. â– â– â– â– â– Flemington victory next as Rose blooms A dream Flemington winner would cap a memorable week for apprentice jockey Rose Hammond. Hammond the past seven days has doubled her tally of city winners, now up to four, with success at Sandown Hillside last Saturday and Wednesday respectively. The Melbourne-based Echuca export has two rides at Headquarters on Saturday including the Matt Laurie -trained Yulong-owned filly Sun Setting, a $21 outsider in a competitive 1100m race. Sun Setting has won comfortably the past two starts at Moe and Mornington. 'I'm really excited for her,' Hammond said. 'A huge thank you to (Laurie), he's been a great supporter of mine and backs me. 'Hopefully I get the job done for him … in the Yulong colours, so really keen for that.' Hammond is determined to make up for lost time, as early injury setbacks hampered her progress and riding development. The 22-year-old suffered a broken leg in track work, before she even started her apprenticeship, and then missed time with a fractured collarbone and multiple concussions. 'I've always wanted to be a jockey so that determination is in me, I couldn't think of doing anything else, I love my job,' Hammond said. 'Hopefully the next two years (of apprenticeship) are smooth sailing, got the injuries out of the way. 'I know I've got a lot of improvement to come so hopefully I can keep working on my craft and get momentum.'
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Jockey Zac Spain – ‘Zachariah the Electrifier'
A professional jockey is not your typical darts player stereotype but Zac Spain has mixed with the best of both worlds. Spain, or 'Zachariah the Electrifier' on the competition circuit, has a dream exhibition match-up next month against Shane McGuirk, the reigning WDF world champion. Spain, an avid thrower off the track, won a tournament in March for the shot at McGuirk on July 19 at the St Kilda Sports Club. The 28-year-old tuned up last weekend with solid performance at the three-day DartPlayers Australia event in Albury. 'I was more than competitive, which was good,' dartboard sniper Spain said. 'I made quarter-finals Friday and then I made top 16 in both events Saturday. 'I got knocked out first round Sunday but I had my chances to go further … probably nerves got to me a little bit, to be honest, a little bit of pressure, but I was rapt. 'I wanted to see how I went against the best in Australia and I felt like I held my own.' Group 1 jockey Spain played darts from an early age, followed his father into the sport growing up in the Northern Territory, and made junior representative squads but eventually racing took priority. Spain picked up the arrows again two years ago and now spends about three hours a day behind the oche. 'I love it, something outside of racing,' Spain said. 'Every day I'm not riding, I'm pretty much on the board. 'Even at night, my partner Tyrah is studying at the moment, so when she's downstairs I'm upstairs having a throw on the board.' Spain plays competition darts on Wednesday and Thursday nights respectively in Gladstone Park and Boronia. Spain, who also plays online for fun and bragging rights against brother Adrian, has the social media alter ego, The Darting Jockey, on Instagram and TikTok. The 'Electrifier' nickname is saved for main events only. 'My old man gave me the name when I was younger,' Spain laughed. 'My full name is Zachariah and he used to call me 'Zachariah the Electrifier'. 'I got a shirt made up with the name on the back and I wear it to the bigger events … it's a bit lairy.' Spain has seven rides on Saturday including Losesomewinmore, one of three for leading Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly who recently opened satellite stable at Flemington. 'He's a nice horse, I had a little gallop on him Tuesday and put him through his paces,' Spain said. 'He worked up super.'
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Meet the 17-year-old who is riding for the King at Royal Ascot
You would be hard pressed to find any 17-year-old who has ridden for the King at Royal Ascot. So it is little wonder Warren Fentiman describes the prospect as 'mind-blowing'. The apprentice jockey will on Friday take the reins of Purple Rainbow on what is also his first festival racing in front of the King. It caps a dream start to a career in the saddle for the teenager, coming less than a fortnight after he scored a landmark win on Derby day at Epsom. Like the King, the teenager has the sport in his blood, with his father, Duran, also a jockey. Indeed, just last month, the pair raced against each other for the first time after the latter recovered from breaking a leg in four places in September. 💨💨💨 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 (7-1) flies home from the rear in the @Betfred Dash @EpsomRacecourse @RichardFahey | @FentimanWarren — Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 7, 2025 But, despite boasting more than 400 winners, Fentiman snr has yet to ride for the Royal family, an honour that is about to be bestowed on his son in Friday's Sandringham Stakes. 'It's just mind-blowing that I'm riding for the King,' says Fentiman, whose tender years are all too clear when he refers to Charles as 'Your Majesty', rather than 'His Majesty'. The teenager, who is allowed to carry 5lb less weight until he scores 40 wins, adds: 'I've never thought about myself riding for the King ever. But doing it as a 5lb claimer, it's something to be proud of.' Remarkably, neither of his parents will be there to share the moment, with his father racing elsewhere this week. 'He wants all the pictures, videos, me ringing him flat out,' Fentiman says. 'Because he's never experienced the full week here.' He adds of his mother: 'Mum would love to come but she's doing a show with my little sister.' Fentiman will not be short of support, however, with plenty of family and 'close mates' in attendance. There are also those back home in North Yorkshire, including school friends who will now be doing A-Levels while he rides for the King. 'There'll be a few people that will just message me, saying, 'How are you?', see that I'm doing well,' he says. 'And the people that do message me from my school, they always support me and say, 'Well done'. 'It's just nice that people that you spent all your early stages of your life with are still watching and supporting.' Fentiman has already had four rides this week and was winning Thursday's Britannia Stakes with around a furlong to go before fading badly and finishing 11th. Admitting he has been pinching himself just being at Royal Ascot, he says: 'When you're just about to go in the stalls, you're looking at the stands and there's just thousands and thousands of people. It just gives you a good thrill.' Bred by Queen Elizabeth II, Purple Rainbow is a 20-1 shot to deliver what could be the King's first win of this year's Royal Ascot. 'Everyone wants to win because it's Royal Ascot,' Fentiman says. 'But I'd say he's got a very nice chance. He's got a low weight, with my claim off. Hopefully, if everything goes well, he should go close. 'It would be amazing if I won for Your Majesty. I don't know what would happen. I think my mum would cry.' They call it 'doing it the hard way', making all the running, but Trawlerman – John and Thady Gosden's 'old boy' – knows no different and ran out a seven-length winner of the Gold Cup in a track-record time. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, the Godolphin-owned gelding ensured there was no hiding place for any stamina-lite rivals. Aged seven, the chances are that Trawlerman is not going to become a multiple winner of the world's most prestigious staying race like Yeats, Stradivarius or even Kyprios, popular winners of the race in the recent past. But there is something about a heroic front-runner like Crisp, Desert Orchid, Persian Punch, Double Trigger – horses who were all venerated by the racing public. William Buick went out to ride Trawlerman knowing he had a number of things in his favour; he knew the gelding gets the trip, that his two principal rivals here had never tried it, that he acts on fast ground and that, maybe not that it would have mattered, this time there was no Kyprios playing the role of heartbreaker. Buick's job was also made easier, he admitted, because the horse does it himself and he only had to start pushing when he could see Illinois's shadow start to loom, just to make sure the Ballydoyle runner would never get the chance to come up for oxygen. TRAWLERMAN WINS THE GOLD CUP 🏆🔵 @godolphin | @WilliamBuickX — ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 19, 2025 In different circumstances, Illinois might have got home but, thus put to the sword, he was in the red on the stamina dial going into the final furlong while Trawlerman just galloped on in his relentless style all the way through the line. It has been an extraordinary week for the Gosdens, winning the feature race each of the first three days as well as two others, but this might just have capped it. 'Trawlerman just goes off,' said the trainer, winning the Gold Cup for the fifth time. 'I said to William 'what did you do?' and he said, 'I threw the reins at him, he can judge pace better than me', and off they went together and picked it up from five out. He is an out-and-out galloper and William judged it perfectly – it is not an easy thing to do over 2½ miles. 'On the basis he stays, if anyone is going to go by him, they will know they have been in a race, but they never got to him because he simply outstayed them.' He added: 'He ran Kyprios to a length last year and they were both all out. He deserved, with Kyprios not here, to come back and show that he is a proper horse. We like the Cup races and those lovely staying horses. I remember the great horses – Lester Piggott rode Sagaro and he could turn the last six furlongs in 1min 12sec flat. That is what I like, a horse that can go the distance and then go, and you can't catch them. That is style.' Even Sagaro might have struggled to go Trawlerman's lick, though. He knocked an impressive 1.9 seconds off the previous track record, set 15 years ago. Record times usually require two things; fast ground and a pacemaker, but Trawlerman did it without any help; that really is the hard way. 'We tried the same tactics last year,' said Buick, 'and we were only beaten by the great Kyprios. He has been such a good horse and is so genuine. He had a beautiful prep and was just so smooth throughout the race today; he's really what you want in a 2½-mile race. I did not have to touch the brakes once. He was on autopilot; he knows his own speed and stays well, so I was just a passenger. 'Winning the Gold Cup is right at the top. It is 2½ miles, an extreme distance, at Royal Ascot. It is a race that, when you get into the last half mile, that is where you separate the horses that stay and don't stay. That is when Trawlerman comes into his own.' Aidan O'Brien might have had to settle for second in the Gold Cup, but he still managed three winners with Charles Darwin in the Norfolk, Garden Of Eden in the Ribblesdale and Trinity College in the Hampton Court, so it was left to the Highclere-owned William Haggas-trained Merchant to get the winning feeling out beyond the coterie of big owners who have been dominating this week. Merchant is owned by 15 members of Highclere's Barn Owl syndicate. 'When we bought him my phone was ringing and ringing, and I thought, 'Aargh, who's that?'' explained Harry Herbert, who has been running Highclere for more than three decades. 'It was William who said, 'I have just seen you've bought that horse. I have never asked before in 33 years, please can I train him?' And here we are, at Royal Ascot – it's very special.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Hollie Doyle interview: It is ridiculous jockeys cannot use saunas to make weight
Hollie Doyle became the most successful female British Flat jockey in May when she rode her 1,023rd winner, surpassing the previous best held by the recently retired Hayley Turner. Here the 28-year-old talks clocking up miles in the car, pony rallies and taking ice baths… Who is the person you'd most like to meet, dead or alive? Sir Henry Cecil. He was a fascinating character and great trainer. He was very intuitive with his horses. I'd love to have been on the scene when he was training and, even better, to have ridden for him. He'd be a bit similar to Sir Michael Stoute, I imagine, just fascinating. Describe yourself in three words. Determined, small, resilient. What is your dream three-course meal and dinner guests? Starters would be scallops, the main would be steak and jam roly-poly for pudding. I'd invite Tom [Marquand, husband and a fellow jockey], Jonny Wilkinson, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Lester Piggott. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I'd like to fly so I don't have to drive everywhere and get stuck in traffic every day. I do a lot of miles. I bought my car, a BMW 5 Series, two-and-a-half years ago with 4,000 miles on the clock. It's done nearly 150,000 now and I haven't been here during the winters. What is the one rule you would like to change in your sport? Even though I don't need to use one, I'd bring back saunas [jockeys used them to make weight but they were banned from racecourses in 2021]. It's hard to watch everyone, including Tom, suffering every day and not being able to go and lose a pound or two. Sometimes they will have driven four hours and they have to run round the track. We have one at home. It's ridiculous not being able to use them in a sport where you have to make a weight. What is your worst habit? Not being able to switch off and always being on the go, always doing something. I don't relax, I need to be doing something the whole time or be thinking about something. I don't even think I switch off when I'm asleep, to be honest. What is your most embarrassing moment? I ended up carrying a bottle of shampoo into the paddock instead of my stick once. I drove up to Carlisle after riding out six lots when I was a 7lb claimer. I was so tired I couldn't even see straight. I walked into the paddock and it was only when I went to shake the owner's hand that I noticed. I had to rush back to the weighing room and change it. If you could switch lives with anyone in the world for a day, who would it be? I'd like to switch lives with [jockey] Ryan Moore on one of the days at Royal Ascot. What is your favourite childhood memory? Probably going to the Radnor and West Hereford Pony Club rallies once a week on my pony Jerry in the summer, falling off and not giving a care; getting milled and then getting up smiling. If you could go on any reality TV show, what would it be? I'm a Celebrity… Even though I don't consider myself a celebrity. Do you prefer a night in or a night out? A night in on my own being able to eat what I want and watch what I want on the television. Tom has the controls when he's there so, obviously, it's why I'd be on my own. What is the best concert you have been to? I've only been to two, Eminem and Coldplay, and I think Eminem was better. What is your karaoke song? Amy Winehouse's Valerie. What is the most ridiculous thing you have ever bought? I'm not sure whether it's the most ridiculous or the most practical. Tom bought me a robot hoover floor cleaner. I'm really bad about any dirt and dust about the house so this goes all day when I'm not there and everything's clean when I get home. It's perfect. You probably couldn't get a better present for me. If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or go to the future? I'd go back to see people and family who have died. What is the best advice you have ever received? Be seen and not heard. From my father. What has been your favourite holiday? Skiing. We went in Japan once a couple of years ago when we were both riding out there one winter and the snow was unreal. It was up to my neck. The only trouble was that it was -20, which took the edge off it a bit. We didn't go this year, which was a pity, but we try to go most years. What is the best book you have ever read? And what is your favourite TV show? I'm not a huge reading fan, the occasional autobiography, but I like Yellowstone, the US television series about a family of cattle ranchers and the dramas in their lives. If you were not a sportsperson, what would you be doing? A vet working with horses. If the qualifications were a problem, I'd probably be a personal trainer. I do something in the gym every day and I do weights three times a week. We have a gym at our new house along with an ice bath, hot tub and sauna. I do a maximum three minutes most days in the ice bath, Tom does up to 10 minutes.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Canterbury preview: A nice book of rides has jockey Jason Collett poised to boost his premiership standing
Jockey Jason Collett is more than happy with the way this season has gone so far including a Group 1 win and is looking to close it out with a bang. Collett currently sits third in the metropolitan jockeys premiership and while James McDonald holds a commanding lead with 81 winners, Collett is just three behind Zac Lloyd with 58 wins and is looking to close the gap. 'I'm really happy with the way the season has gone so far,' said Collett. 'Obviously, winning the Doncaster was huge. It's such a big race. 'I want to try and win any Group 1 but to achieve that was such a huge. 'On the whole, I'm third in the premiership, I'm happy with the stake money I've earnt so it's been a good season.' POINT SCORE (2 c Blue Point - Hill of Grange) runs away from his rivals at @kemblaraces for Amanda Turner, giving @DarleyStallions BLUE POINT a 6th SH 2yo winner this season ðŸ'µ The colt was a $150k buy for his trainer from @Middlebrookstud at the @mmsnippets Gold Coast Yearling… â€' ANZ News (@anz_news) May 31, 2025 The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Collett has a nice book of rides at Canterbury starting with the Gary Portelli -trained Kilbrannan in the Myplates Handicap (1250m). He rode the two-year-old in his last trial at Warwick Farm before the colt debuted with a handy third to Point Score at Kembla with his brother-in-law, Andrew Calder, in the saddle. 'I've had a wee bit to do with the family. Obviously, he is a half-brother to Fireburn and Kintyre and he is a similar type. 'He's got a good attitude and shows a bit of ability. 'He trialled quite nicely when I rode him at Warwick Farm leading into his first run. 'Stepping up a bit further this week will help. 'He's a raw type and whatever he does this week, he will improve again. 'There's a hot favourite in this race of Chris Waller's (Central Coast) but I do like this horse going forward.' Collett partnered the Ciaron Maher -trained So Long Farewell in his first two runs this campaign including a second to Kundabung on the Kensington two runs back. They reunite in the Maurice At Arrowfield Plate (1550m). 'His last run for me was really good on the Kenso. I rode him a bit quieter and he started to put it together late and attacked the line well,' he said. 'I see they rode him up close last start and it may not have been to his liking because he wasn't as strong late. A dominant victory to Kundabung who breaks his maiden at start number three at Randwick today!🙌 @cwallerracing | @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 14, 2025 'This distance this week is what I think he will need but it may be a case of making sure he does it right in the first half of the race so he runs on.' The Richard and Will Freedman -trained Miss Jones is an acceptor in the TAB Plate (1250m) and also Maiden Handicap at Gosford on Thursday. Collett was aboard first-up when fourth behind Regimental Colours over 1100m at Warwick Farm and feels a step up in distance is ideal. 'She battled away okay first-up,' he said. 'She has an abundance of early speed so I'd like to make use of that and put her up on the speed. The Canterbury track will suit her style 'There are a couple of handy types in the field but I think she is a good hope.' Collett had his first feel of Fioprospero in a Randwick barrier trial last Friday and was happy with the gelding's effort when sixth in the mid-preparation heat ahead of the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1900m). 'It was a tick over trial to get him ready for this,' he said. 'I don't know too much about his form with most of his runs up in Queensland this campaign but I was happy with his trial.' His final ride is Miss Hades in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1550m). 'She has won at this level in earlier campaign so she does have the ability, she just needs to recapture that,' he said. â– â– â– â– â– Trainer Matthew Smith is pleased with preparation of new recruit Fioprospero and is looking to the gelding to build on it when he steps out at Canterbury. The son of Fiorente kicked off his first preparation for Smith with a sixth behind Debello over an unsuitable 1400m at Kembla on March 4 before heading to Queensland and scoring back-to-back wins at Eagle Farm over 1830m and 1805m. The six-year-old was then just behind the placegetters on the Kensington in late April and the Gold Coast on May 10. 'He's been racing in great form this preparation,' said Smith. 'Most of his runs have been up in Queensland and he won a couple of races at Eagle Farm. 'We just gave him a little freshen up after his last run and trial last week. Fioprospero settled last and wide and worked to the line strongly to finish a three length sixth behind Last Command in the 1200m heat under Jason Collett who will ride him in the Ole Kirk @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1900m). Fioprospero makes it two wins in a row at Eagle Farm! 2ï¸�⃣ @baileywheeler05 | @mcsmithracing | @BrisRacingClub â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025 'I was really happy with that trial,' he said.' 'He gives me the impression that he will run a mile and a half so we will look to step him up.' Smith has liked what he seen of Golden Straand in trackwork and his trials and the colt pleased his trainer with his debut second to Sapphire Rose over 1100m at Wyong on June 8. The son of the late Snitzel steps out for his second start in the TAB Plate (1250m) for three-year-old maidens with Jay Ford to ride. 'I quite like this horse and I was happy with his debut run,' Smith said. 'He's a colt that we have brought along slowly. 'He's also in at Gosford on Thursday so I will work out which race suits him better at this stage and we try and build his confidence.' Smith final runner is Serene Nic in the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1550m). The five-year-old should be forgiven for her last start sixth at Hawkesbury on a heavy track and has since trialled very well when third to Jamberoo at Warwick Farm on May 27. 'She was terrific first-up and at her next start, she ran as expected being second-up off a decent break,' he said. 'She just didn't perform at Hawkesbury last start so we gave her a freshen up. 'She was very consistent last preparation and this is the sort of race she can run very well in.'
