Dedication, commitment and sacrifice finally paid off for Alice Springs apprentice Dakota-Lee Gillett on Saturday.
The 16-year-old booted home her first winner when nine-year-old mare Hard Work Rewards, the $17 outsider with online bookmakers in a five-horse field, proved too good for 0-64 opposition over 1200m.
The name of the horse perfectly typifies the teenager’s determined attitude, but the win was totally unexpected despite the fact she claimed 4kg and the Magnus mare ended up carrying only 51kg.
Lisa Whittle’s $1.95 favourite Like A Heartbeat (Sonja Wiseman), who is competitive and inconsistent, and Kym Hann’s $2.60 hope Elmore Lad (Dan Morgan), a last-start winner in Darwin, were expected to fight it out despite lumping 59.5kg and 60.5kg, respectively.
Even Greg Connor’s $9 chance Toffiato (Jessie Philpot), who had a 59.5kg impost, and Barry Cooke’s $13 hopeful King Crab (Casey Hunter), who carried 55kg, were considered better each-way options, but racing has a habit of producing the occasional upset.
The most extraordinary aspect in regards to the result on the weekend was that Hard Work Rewards managed to post her first-ever win in only her eighth career start.
Debuting in Alice Springs as a three-year-old for trainer Paul Gardner in September 2016, Hard Work Rewards finished fifth against three- and four-year-olds in a Class B Handicap over 1000m.
That was followed by a second in a 1000m maiden the following month before she was spelled.
Returning to Pioneer Park in March 2017, Hard Work Rewards finished fifth in an 1100m maiden.
The next month resulted in a fifth in a Class 6 Handicap over 1200m before a second in a 1200m maiden in June.
It was then off to Darwin, where she came fifth in a 1300m maiden at Fannie Bay in July.
Incredibly, Hard Work Rewards wasn’t sighted for the next five years before making a comeback on July 17 and finishing sixth in a 1200m maiden in the Red Centre for Darwin-based trainer Phil Cole.
The horse then ended up in the stable of Leah Walling-Denton, the daughter of longtime NT jockey Paul Denton, and to the astonishment of many racing pundits and the delight of everyone connected with Hard Work Rewards, she finished strongly in the home straight to win the opening race on Saturday by two and a half lengths.
0-64 Handicap (1200m) | Alice Springs | August 20, 2022 | Hard Work Rewards (1st)
King Crab looked like securing victory exiting the final corner before finishing second with Toffiato sealing third place from highly disappointing duo Like A Heartbeat, who was fourth, and Elmore Lad.
The daughter of Alice Springs trainers Terry and Leanne Gillett, Dakota-Lee is also the niece of former top jockey Malcolm Johnston.
READ: Whittle edges out Gillett in Alice Springs trainers’ premiership
Dakota-Lee always wanted to be a jockey and thus followed in the footsteps of her dad, a former regular rider in Alice Springs, and her high-profiled uncle.
A strapper for the Gillett stable before commencing track work as a 14-year-old, Dakota-Lee started to get serious about becoming a jockey when she was 15.
The support of her parents was unwavering, but the teenager had to also train interstate to improve her riding skills and technique – not an easy thing to do when you’re also juggling school studies.
That included trips to Darwin, Townsville, Rockhampton, Balaklava, Murray Bridge and the Gold Coast for additional trials to get the necessary experience.
Dakota-Lee finally made her riding debut at Pioneer Park on July 17, when she finished seventh aboard Policy – an Exceed And Excel gelding trained by her dad.
After 18 months of application you couldn’t hide her excitement on that particular day, so just imagine how Dakota-Lee was feeling when Hard Work Rewards saluted on the weekend.
“It felt pretty good, like after I went past the winning the post I just thought it was a dream for a second there,” she said.
“I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
“When the horse hit the front I was like, oh, all I kept thinking was ‘keep on running, keep on running’.
“When we got to the 200m, I knew we were home.
“Nothing could catch Hard Work Rewards because she went past King Crab and then kept on flying.”
And the fact Mum and Dad were present to see their daughter win her first race was certainly icing on the cake.
“All I did when I was half way up the straight was look to my side and all I could see was Mum and Dad screaming,” she said.
“I couldn’t believe they were screaming, everyone was screaming.
“I felt pretty excited – all the hard work definitely pays off.
“The poor horse, I was patting it and scratching it – I didn’t know what just happened.
“You couldn’t wipe Leah’s smile off her face when I got back to the mounting yard, she was over the moon.
“Mum and Dad were happy, they have been amazing.
“There were no tears, I think everyone was still in shock.
“Malcolm called me Sunday morning and said how proud he was.
“Everyone was congratulating me and everyone has been supportive – I’ve been getting a lot of Facebook messages.
“School also follows it and I’ve definitely been getting messages and everything.”
Although winning is always the main objective of every racehorse, not much was expected of Hard Work Rewards on Saturday and that’s what made the win so remarkable.
Dakota-Lee didn’t get specific instructions before the race, although she was advised that the horse might jump slowly from the gates.
“It missed the kick like they said and once I gave it a hit down the shoulder it started hunting and from there it just flew home,” she said.
“Once she hit the front I went, oh, it kind of surprised me a bit more than anything – it ended up winning which stunned everyone.”
On Sunday, Dakota-Lee and her dad flew to Sydney before heading up the highway on Monday to ride track work for the week for Wyong trainer Damien Lane.
It’s early days in her riding career and the young hoop confirmed that the trip was a mixture of training and business, so could a move to NSW be on the cards?
“I’m just going to check out Wyong to see if I like it or not,” she said.
“We were just going to have a look.
“If things happen then things happen, if things don’t then they don’t.”
Racing returns to Alice Springs on Friday and Dakota-Lee didn’t know if she would get back home in time.
“Maybe, we’re not sure yet – we’ll just see if I get rides,” she said.
“It will also be good to get home to go back riding work for Leah.
“And of course do track work and ride for Mum and Dad.”
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