Talented apprentice jockey Tayla Mitchell not only collected one of the country’s biggest staying races on Saturday at Ellerslie, but she also reached a valuable milestone with a century of winners to her name.
The 21-year-old partnered Ken Harrison’s four-year-old Please Sir in the Eagle Charters 2100, and after settling fourth in the running, the gelding kept finding in the straight to come out on top in a competitive finish where the first seven home were separated by just a length.
Mitchell had been informed the weekend prior that she was nearing the 100 mark and was delighted to do so early on the feature card.
“Someone let me know at Matamata last Saturday that I was on 99, which was a surprise to me, so I did have it in my head when I crossed the line at Ellerslie,” she said.
“He (Please Sir) had been running good races and we had the perfect run in transit, he fought to the line really hard and it was really good.”
Please Sir had paid $32 for the victory, a similar quote to Blue Sky At Night, who delivered Mitchell a second Group Three victory this season in the Avondale Cup (2400m). The combination had caused a minor upset back in December when taking out the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) and there was no stopping them on Saturday, denying the favourite About Time by a neck at the post.
It is no secret that the daughter of Shamexpress means a great deal to Mitchell, and the pair will return to Ellerslie in a fortnight in pursuit of the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m).
“She is a very special mare to me, she gives me a lot of confidence and has taught me how to ride these staying races,” she said.
“She’s a very big part of my life and has given me two of the big Cups now, I think she’ll run out the distance in the Auckland Cup as well so she should be a very good chance.
“Shelley (Hale, trainer) has put all her trust in me and supported me, she could easily put a senior on for these bigger races, but she knows how well I get along with this horse and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. I wouldn’t have been able to get these races without her.”
Saturday’s success was made even sweeter for Mitchell when one race later, her partner Wiremu Pinn piloted El Vencedor to a textbook win the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m).
“We had a very winning household on the weekend which was awesome,” she said.
“He is a massive help with my riding and everything related to racing, he helps me analyse my rides and work on where I went wrong and what I could be doing better.”
Blue Sky At Night has been the highlight of a resurgent season for the young hoop. She was New Zealand’s champion apprentice in 2022/23 and subsequently headed across the Tasman, and while she was unable to attain a riding license, she gained plenty of valuable life experience from the six-month stint.
“I won the premiership, which was amazing, but doing that time in Australia was a great learning experience and I took a lot a lot away from it, probably more than people would think,” she said.
“Even though I wasn’t riding raceday there, it really helped me grow as a person and as a track rider, the level of professionalism over there and the way the stables operate, I really took that back with me.
“I think it was also good for my mental state, I got to have that break away from race-riding and that made me want to do it that bit more.”
Back in Cambridge, Mitchell is grateful to have the support of a number of local trainers, including Samantha Logan, Chad Ormsby and Ralph Manning, the latter being a huge influence early on in her apprenticeship.
“Sam Logan plays a huge part in my life, not only in racing but also with all of the stuff outside of that,” she said. “If I ever need someone to chat to on the way home from the races, she’s always there for me.
“I ride trackwork for her first thing every morning and she gives me rides whenever she can, I nearly got a win for her yesterday but just missed in the photo finish.
“Chad’s been amazing too, he could put a senior on any day of the week, but he’s trusted me with some really nice rides. Earlier in my career, Ralph Manning was the one who boosted me from the start as well.
“I think I have just under a year left (apprenticeship), so I just want to keep riding winners and grow as a rider, and see how much of my claim I can ride out before my time ends.”