Jockey numbers are down for the competitive six-race meeting at Darwin on Saturday, so Toowoomba-based hoop Tessa Townsend is happy to once again accept an invitation to ride at Fannie Bay.
The 30-year-old, a third-year apprentice with a 2kg claim, debuted in the Top End last year after being approached by high-profile NT trainer Phil Cole and she has already punched home 11 winners from 45 starts.
“Phil was chasing a rider and I thought it would be a good opportunity to go up there, go to a different track and see something different,” Townsend said.
“I’m quite lucky, he kept putting me on and I’ve been going up to Darwin for well over 12 months now.
“Phil rings me up a bit to go up there.
“When Phil gets me to go up he normally gives me a full book straight up, so that makes it easier.
“This time jockey Vanessa Arnott got suspended, so trainer Jason Manning asked me to come up for a couple of rides.
“I was scouting about looking for some other rides and I was lucky enough to get one ride for Angela Forster.”
Townsend will partner Niewand (Race 2), Golden Ridge (Race 4) and Light And Dark (Race 5) for Manning, as well as Zoumist (Race 1) for fellow Darwin trainer Forster.
Apart from Arnott, leading Top End jockeys Jarrod Todd (suspension) and Paul Shiers (injury) won’t be on deck this weekend – although veteran hoop Wayne Davis does return from injury.
Over the years, a plethora of interstate jockeys such as Townsend have accepted invitations to ride in the NT outside the Darwin and Alice Springs Cup Carnivals.
“Darwin has its own style, it’s dirt, definitely a different track to ride on,” Townsend said.
“You’ve got to learn to ride on it, they go pretty hard there, but yeah, it’s a nice track.
“The jockeys up there are great to ride with, everyone is so inviting, they’re very helpful.
“I normally get a direct flight straight from Brisbane to Darwin on a Saturday morning.
“I have a few decent rides this weekend, I think Niewand and Zoumist are my best chances.
“Hopefully, Light And Dark will improve a little, especially with my 2kg claim.”
Townsend clearly has a strong rapport with Cole as she has had the opportunity to partner the impressive Smuggling, who the Queensland jockey rates as the best horse she ridden in the NT.
Smuggling won the 2021 and 2022 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in Alice Springs, and also finished fourth (2020), third (2021) and second (2022) in the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) in Darwin.
Last year, Townsend rode Smuggling, a 10-year-old gelding these days, twice at Fannie Bay where she tasted victory in February carrying 60kg before coming sixth in May lumping 62kg.
“Smuggling, he’s very good,” she said.
Born in Bourke, Townsend grew up in Cunnamulla and has no issue travelling to the NT to ride, and in fact had the chance to also ride in Western Australia for the first time this year when she rode on Day 1 (August 20) and Day 3 (September 3) during the three days of racing hosted by the Kununurra Race Club.
Riding for Darwin trainer Dick Leech, Townsend had 11 rides saluting on Mazy Motion on Day 1 before making it a winning double on Write Your Name and Lunch Session on Day 3.
“Kununurra was great, the track was amazing – it’s a beautiful grass track,” Townsend said.
“It’s so much better than riding in a lot of places in Queensland, that’s for sure.
“Well, the first time I rode there I just flew from Brisbane to Darwin and then I went with Vanessa (Arnott), we drove over, see a bit of the countryside, that was something different.
“The next time I flew from Brisbane to Darwin to Kununurra and then vice-versa on the way home.”
On Day 1 of the Kununurra races, Arnott rode Write Your Name to victory for Leech with Townsend half a length away in second place aboard stablemate War Games.
Townsend has also had the opportunity to ride in the Red Centre as well.
“Yeah, I’ve ridden at Alice Springs a couple of times, but I haven’t really had much success there,” she said.
“I rode for Terry Gillett and a couple of times for Phil (Cole) as well.”
Apprenticed to Toowoomba trainer Steve Tregea, Townsend had her first ride at Thangool, just south of Biloela, on Australia Day 2019 where she finished second on Vancouver Star for Miles trainer Norma King.
She has already registered 93 career wins and despite appearing at various country venues throughout Queensland these past three years, Townsend is content in Toowoomba.
“I just ride on certain days,” she said.
“I try and get out and about everywhere, but yeah, I’m trying to mainly kind of focus on Toowoomba at the moment.”
Devoted towards her profession, Townsend has little time for anything else.
“No, not particularly because I do stable work as well and everything, so that pretty much just takes up my time,” Townsend said.
Finally, Townsend continues to encourage fellow jockeys to ride in Darwin if given the opportunity.
“Oh, I do all the time, yes,” she said.
“Everyone worries more about the heat, but I grew up like way out west in Queensland and it gets very hot out there, so I like the heat anyway.
“Yeah, I get a funny look when I recommend Darwin to jockeys around Toowoomba.
“Anytime Darwin gives me a call I’m happy to go, yes, definitely.”
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