For the first time in almost nine years, Northern Territory apprentice jockeys will be involved in the National Apprentice Race Series (NARS).
The first two legs of this year’s series will be hosted by the Darwin Turf Club at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
When the series first came into vogue over a dozen years ago there was an invited apprentice race run on Alice Springs Cup Day at Pioneer Park in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 when the NT had a good number of apprentices in the system.
The last time the series heat was run in the Red Centre in 2014 it was won by NT apprentice Kate Brooks, the late Simone Montgomerie rode the winner in 2010 and in 2012 the late Melanie Tyndall finished second.
The following year in 2013, Top End apprentices Alana Brown and Felicia Bergstrand finished second and third, respectively.
With a recent influx of apprentices in the Territory – there are now five young apprentice jockeys based in Darwin and Alice Springs – Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory was approached to again participate in the series.
There are now two races per day on the selected race days in the Northern Territory (Darwin – March 4), Western Australia (Belmont – March 15), Tasmania (Hobart – March 19), South Australia (Strathalbyn – March 22), Queensland (Eagle Farm – March 29) and Victoria (Sandown – April 19).
Five visiting apprentices will join the Territory’s Dakota-Lee Gillett in the two races on Saturday, and depending on the size of the fields for the two series races – Benchmark 54 over 1200m and Class 2 over 1100m – it is hoped that fellow NT apprentices Jade Hampson, Emma Lines, Ianish Luximon and Lek Maloney may also gain rides.
Only Gillett will earn points, which go towards the overall state/territory winner.
In the first race, the points available are five points (1st), three points (2nd), two points (3rd) and one point (4th).
In the second race, the points available are 10 points (1st), six points (2nd), four points (3rd) and one point (4th).
The reason for the split points scale is to mitigate a draw on the day.
Luximon, apprenticed to Kevin Lamprecht in Alice Springs, will represent the NT at both Belmont and Strathalbyn, while Hampson, indentured to Tayarn Halter in the Top End, will be the Territory’s representative at Eagle Farm and Sandown.
Unfortunately, a NT apprentice will be unable to compete at Hobart as the series legs are held on Sunday, March 19 – the same weekend as the St Patrick’s Cup feature meetings in both Darwin (Saturday) and Alice Springs (Sunday).
TRNT chief executive Andrew O’Toole said: “It is great that the NT is again involved in the National Apprentice Series.
“The experience gained by our young riders during the series is invaluable, and riding against different opposition on a variety of tracks is fantastic for the young riders’ development.”
The six apprentices who will compete for the points in the two Darwin legs are as follows:
Northern Territory – Dakota-Lee Gillett
17, 3kg claim
Born and bred in Alice Springs, Dakota-Lee is the daughter of top Red Centre trainers Terry, a former jockey, and Leanne. Dakota-Lee had her first day’s riding in Alice Springs on July 17 last year and has seven wins to her credit, the first of them coming aboard Leah Walling-Denton’s Hard Work Rewards at Pioneer Park on August 20. She rode a winner on her first day’s riding in Darwin on New Year’s Eve and just reduced her apprentice claim to 3kg. Her most recent win came aboard Esashi at Alice Springs on February 25. She can ride at 52kg.
Queensland – Sophie Wilcock
27, 3kg claim
Sophie is originally from the Top End where she attended Taminmin College. She rode her first winner, Blinkin Dancing, at Inverell in October 2018 and achieved a milestone recently by positing her 50th career win. Nowadays based at Roma, Sophie has only recently resumed race riding after a break due to weight issues. She has worked hard to make a successful return and rode a winner at her first day back in the saddle. She recently won her local Cup at Roma aboard Nick The Skip and has also obtained her provincial license in Queensland. She is apprenticed to Scott Rodgers.
South Australia – Jade Doyle
24, 3kg claim
Jade is an Alice Springs native who, after travelling to Newmarket in the United Kingdom to work for 12 months, then spent a period of time in Melbourne before beginning her career as a jockey in South Australia in 2021. Jade is a quiet achiever and has already made a number of trips to ride in her home town of Alice Springs, Jade rode her first winner, Oakfield Geronimo, at Kangaroo Island in January 2022 and has 18 wins to her credit so far. Her most recent winner came at Naracoorte in mid-February and she can ride at 51.5kg.
Tasmania – Brooke Hanham
20, 3kg claim
Brooke commenced race riding late in 2022 and has already ridden six winners – her first coming on Warica at Launceston on November 23. The same horse provided her with a second career win a couple of weeks later at the same track. Her biggest success to date came aboard Miami Sun in a feature $75,000 three-year-old race at Hobart during the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival. Due to the conditions of the race, Brooke was unable to claim her apprentice allowance making the feat all the more noteworthy. She is apprenticed to leading trainer John Blacker at Longford and her minimum riding weight is 52kg.
Victoria – Matthew Chadwick
24, 2kg claim
Matthew is apprenticed to leading Victorian trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. He began his career with a winner, Drone Strike, at Kilmore in February 2022 and his second win, aboard the same horse, came just over a week later at Ararat. He has since enjoyed good success and has 25 wins to his credit to date. His last winner came courtesy of Euphemia at Wodonga on February 17. This will be Matthew’s first experience of riding in the NT, although he has a half-dozen wins on synthetic tracks in Victoria. His minimum riding weight is 52kg.
Western Australia – Cassey Martinan
24, 3kg claim
Cassey won the apprentice trainee of the year award in WA for 2021/22 through her hard work dedication to the Apprentice Program. Apprenticed to Stephen Miller, she has to date ridden 46 winners in just over 12 months with a license, including a metropolitan success aboard Irritable Rodnee at Ascot in March last year – which was in fact her first winner. She has ridden with good success on the country circuit and also has a couple of wins at the provincials. Her most recent winner came aboard Lucrative Lucy at Mount Barker on February 19 and she can ride at 51kg.
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