LAURYN LOOKING TO START IN STYLE
APPRENTICE Lauryn Bingley makes her race riding debut at Elwick on Sunday and both of her mounts from the Scott Brunton stable are winning chances in Kuroset and Neutralize.
Bingley is apprenticed to the training partnership of Tanya Hanson and former talented jockey Kyle Maskiell at their Longford stables.
It has been a long road to race riding for Bingley, who started out as an apprentice almost three years ago with Nigel Schuuring at Whitemore. However, after a fall in a trial she opted to take a break.
“I was fairly immature when I first started, but after the fall, taking a break was the best thing to do and when I decided this was what I really wanted to do, I got on with it,” Bingley said.
She had about 2100 trial rides while with Schuuring and was close to clinching her race riding licence when she fell at Longford.
One of the state’s best trainers, Bill Ryan, was always prepared to put Bingley on his horses for trackwork and in trials.
“I am so excited about having my first ride and I am grateful to Scott (Brunton) who not only has given me my first two rides, but he also supported me by giving me heaps of trial rides,” Bingley said.
Bingley can ride at 53kg, which means she can only ride horses that are handicapped to carry at least 57kg because she must adhere to her 4kg claim that she will have until she has notched five wins.
NATIONAL Jockeys Celebration Day has become an annual event at the start of each racing season, and the Tasmanian Racing Club will host this year’s event at Elwick on Sunday.
The NJCD is a national event of remembrance and recognition for Australian riders and a special ceremony will take place in the mounting yard at Elwick before the horses parade in the lead-up to race eight.
All jockeys at Elwick will assemble and line up in their silks before they are due to mount up before race eight. The jockeys, along with patrons, will engage in a minute’s silence, after which a minister of the church will bless the track.
The rider of the No.1 saddlecloth in races five and eight will wear the National Jockey Trust silks.
NJCD celebrates the achievements of former and current jockeys, commemorates those who have lost their lives, and raises awareness of the risks jockeys face each time they venture on to the racetrack.
It also raises funds for the National Jockeys Trust.
There are 850 jockeys registered in Australia and statistics show why support is needed from the NJT.
Since 1847 there have been 890 Australian jockeys killed in race falls, and about 200 riders are injured each year on Australian racetracks
Combined with trackwork, there are about 500 falls annually, and 89 per cent of jockeys will have had a fall that requires medical assistance. Nine per cent of these jockeys have endured more than 20 falls.
Each year close to 40 per cent of jockeys will have a fall that will prevent them from riding for an average of five weeks, with about 5 per cent of these falls resulting in career-ending injuries.