Living a childhood dream
Jockey Ashvin Goindasamy has swapped tailor-made miniature jockey's colours for the real thing and is living a childhood dream.
The Cambridge apprentice celebrated his best day in the saddle when from four rides at Matamata on Saturday he kicked home two winners, Direct Capital and Athena Baby, as well as picking up a close second on Cutting Up Rough.
He recorded his first win aboard Cutting Up Rough at Taupo¯ on August 22 and his double on Saturday took his tally to five. He has been attracting the interest of outside trainers. Both Direct Capital and Athena Baby were the first time he had ridden for either Karen Nicholson and John Bell.
Goindasamy was quickly on his phone to his parents in Mauritius after Saturday's windfall.
“I wasn't expecting two wins and I nearly got three.” Goindasamy's father was a trackwork rider in Mauritius and instrumental in him becoming a jockey.
“I was really small and my father said I should be a jockey and from then on that's all I've wanted to be,” Goindasamy said. “When I was five I had to dress up for a fancy dress at school and my parents got a tailor to make me some jockeys' colours. I was the only one dressed as a jockey. I used to watch horse races on TV went to the stable where Dad used to work.” He learned to ride on ponies at the local equestrian centre which led to an 18-month stint riding trackwork in Malaysia.
“But just as I got my licence there, my visa expired so that's when I decided to come to New Zealand,” Goindasamy said.
Goindasamy will be kept busy with rides at each of the three northern meetings this week. — NZ Racing Desk