New Zealand’s champion apprentice jockey Sam Weatherley is making every post a winner during his three-month stint with leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller.
The 19-year-old, who transferred to Waller in mid-June, rode a double at Randwick for his employer on Saturday, with the bumper day made even sweeter with his family on-course to celebrate.
“I got huge satisfaction to ride my first winner for Chris. To get it done and ride two winners from two rides for him was as big a thrill as any,” Weatherley said.
“It was a really good day, especially to get on two nice horses like Our Malambo and Kaonic.
“To ride a double at Randwick with my family on track was pretty special.”
Weatherley, who will again claim the title of New Zealand’s champion apprentice despite being in Australia for the final month and a-half of the season, had five rides on Saturday for two wins and three runner-up finishes.
“Things are going really well. I have started off on the right foot and had a bit of luck and I am starting to get a whole lot of support from outside trainers too,” he said.
Both of Weatherley’s winners were New Zealand-bred, with bonny three-year-old (Our) Malambo having recently joined Waller after four wins for Kiwi trainer and part-owner Graeme Rogerson.
“I never got to ride her in New Zealand, but I always ended up in the same races against her and knew she was a very tough filly,” Weatherley said.
“She has come over here and thrived and her work has been super. I was quietly confident on her and to get the job done for Graeme Rogerson, who I rode a little bit for back home, was very pleasing.
“It was a tough win because they went hard up front and she was off the bridle the whole way.
“She took a couple of tight gaps down the straight and really pinned the ears back and attacked the line, so it definitely won’t be her last win.”
Weatherley produced a stunning rails-hugging ride to win the final event on smart Savabeel colt Kaonic.
“It was good to see a good horse back to his best. If you look back, when the first markets came out for the Randwick Guineas he was thefavourite, so he has always had a big wrap on him,” he said.
“What he has shown me in the month and a-half I have been here is there is a whole lot of upside to him.”
Weatherley, who can claim two kilos in the metropolitan area, has ridden five winners in Australia to date from 35 rides, with a further eight placings.
“All of my wins have been in the city. At this stage it is hard to get rides out in the country and provincial areas because I can’t claim there,” he said.
“Trainers are using my claim in town, so hopefully once I get a bit more success I can get out to those provincial areas a bit more and try to kick home a few more winners.”
The polished apprentice has immersed himself in the Waller stable and has been blown away by the level of professionalism.
“After two days of being here I realised how he has got to where he is, because it is just an unreal system that he has in place that is very hard to explain,” he said.
“It is just so professional, so thorough and the staff here are all super. They put in 110 percent and all want to do the best by the horses.
“Chris is very good to work for. You know a long way out what horse you’re riding, it’s never a last-minute decision. You know two or three weeks out that you are riding a horse in a race for Chris and it gives you time to prepare.”
Weatherley has also found himself trying to absorb as much as possible from the star-studded jockeys’ ranks in Sydney.
“Riding with guys like Hugh Bowman, KerrinMcEvoy, Brenton Avdulla, Blake Shinn and James McDonald, all you want to do is adapt your style and try and make yourself better and take in any little piece of advice.”
Weatherley had seven trials rides at Rosehill on Monday and was particularly pleased with former New Zealand-trained galloper Eagle Bay.
The apprentice is hopeful of extending his stay in Sydney, just as champion New Zealand apprentices James McDonald, Jason Collett and Rory Hutchings have done before him.
“Nothing has been said at this stage, but I will do my three months and see how I am going over here. I’ll just keep trying to ride winners and do my best,”Weatherley said.–
