A life with horses is the only thing Tayla Mitchell has wanted and she is now living that dream with her chosen vocation as a jockey.
The 18-year-old apprentice is in her second season of riding and has made a flying start to the new term, recording her 12th win of the season aboard the Mark Jones-trained Phelan The Power in the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile Trial (1400m) at Riccarton last Saturday.
“It was a really good opportunity,” Mitchell said. “Mum got me the ride on him through her friend Sue Phelan up in Auckland, who is an owner.
“I dropped my stick at the top of the straight, but he didn’t need that. He fought hard and just wanted to win.
“I had heaps of horse underneath me so I kept sitting on him waiting for the others to come up and then I pushed the button and he went.”
Mitchell has been riding ever since she can remember and decided on pursuing a career in the industry at the behest of her mother, trainer Tarissa Macdonald.
“Mum got me my first pony when I was three, so I have been riding since I could walk really,” Mitchell said.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do at school and mum said I could come and ride trackwork and see how I like it.
“When I was working for David and Emma-Lee Browne, Emily Farr said I was light enough so why not try and become a jockey?”
Indentured to her mother at Cambridge, Mitchell said her small stable gives Mitchell the opportunity to spread her wings and ride work for other trainers.
“We just have small team but that is really good because I can freelance ride for a few trainers,” Mitchell said.
“I didn’t know who I would sign up with and people said I should sign up with my mum because it would be an easier way to go freelance and spend time on other peoples horses as well.
“I am really loving riding at the moment. It’s going really well and Ted (McLachlan) has started to be my manager, which has helped me so much. It takes a lot of stress off my shoulders.”
Looking to the weekend, Mitchell is set to have five rides at Matamata on Saturday, including four for Cambridge trainer Ralph Manning.
“Ralph Manning has been really good to me, he pretty much started me out trackwork riding,” Mitchell said.
“On The Prowl has been in really good form and should go well again on Saturday and Fonteyn is unbeaten at Matamata.”
While her focus is on her immediate rides, Mitchell is excited to be having her first stakes ride at Hastings in 10 days.
“I am riding Bari in the Group Three (Red Badge Spring Sprint, 1400m) at Hastings, so I am really looking forward to that,” she said.
“He has been giving me a nice feeling the last couple of starts. He is improving a lot.”
