Baylee ready to reboot
Apprentice hungry for race return
His whirlwind entry into racing will be a hard act to top but Toowoomba apprentice jockey Baylee Nothdurft will be a hungry rider and a wiser person when he makes his riding comeback next week.
Nothdurft returns to the race saddle at Gatton on Saturday week after spending three months on the suspended list.
The first-year rider’s barnstorming run of success was put on hold in June after he pleaded guilty to a steward’s charge of breaching the rules of racing by placing bets.
Nothdurft had opened a TAB account while his license was cancelled for a month in April during which time he was undergoing a change of stables.
All the bets were of a small nature and none were placed in races he rode in or at meetings he rode at.
“There were stories at the time I had been betting in the jockey’s room but that wasn’t true at all,” Nothdurft said this week after finishing work at the stables of his boss Lindsay Hatch.
“It was just something I mistakenly did while I was filling in time while waiting to change stables.
“I fully understand now it was wrong.
“I’ve paid the penalty for that and I’ve learned a valuable lesson from it.”
Stewards granted Nothdurft an early return to track-work riding if he agreed to undertake gambling counselling.
The 18-year-old is now back in the saddle counting down the days to his return, determined to repay people for the support offered to him during his ban.
Hatch said Nothdurft had taken his punishment “on the chin”.
“His attitude has been great,” Hatch said.
“He wasn’t allowed to ride work for his first two months out, but he was at the stables every morning doing boxes for us.
“Now he’s riding work again he’s doing a 12 or 13 a morning for me and he hasn’t missed a beat.”
Nothdurft’s suspension denied him the chance of pulling off a possible win in last season’s Clifford Park jockey’s premiership.
After being granted his Clifford Park riding license in February, Nothdurft had ridden 1 7 winners until mid June to finish 16 behind eventual winner Beau Appo.
Nothdurft’s 51 career wins in his first 10 months riding includes four Clifford Park wins on successive Saturdays.
‘“I won the apprentice’s title which I’m very happy about and my main goal now is to win the jockeys’ title this season,” Nothdurft said.
“I also want to repay all the people who have helped me get over this little hurdle.
“Especially Lindsay and Tracey Hatch for supporting me like they have.
“Tracey was very helpful to me through the inquiry and I owe them a lot for helping me put this behind me.”