Winning New Zealand’s apprentice jockeys’ premiership wasn’t at the top of Lily Sutherland’s mind at the start of the 2023/24 season, but on Wednesday she welcomed the title she had worked so hard for.

Sutherland finished the season on 52 wins, including four at stakes level, just two wins ahead of her nearest rival, Niranjan Parmar. Sutherland enjoyed the tight battle with the northern hoop and said it added some excitement to the final stages of the season.

“Parmar was going well as well, which made it fun,” Sutherland said. “It was good (to win the premiership) and when I got to 50, that was great.”

Sutherland said her premiership title reflected the support that she has received from many trainers this season, particularly from her employer, Kevin Myers.

“It just shows the support that I have had,” she said. “Everybody has been really kind to me, including all the jockeys, and I couldn’t have done it without Kevin Myers.”

Sutherland has been working for Myers for the last 18 months, having transferred her apprenticeship to the Wanganui trainer from her previous employer Vicki Wilson in Hawke’s Bay.

“I moved to Kevin’s in March last year,” Sutherland said. “Kevin has been amazing the whole way through. When I was looking to move more central, as Hawke’s Bay is too far away from everywhere, I was lucky that he let me stay here.”

Sutherland said she owes a lot to Wilson, who without her support and guidance would not have found her way into the racing industry.

“Vicki started me off, without her I would never have met Kevin, and I would still be just playing with ponies,” she said.

Wilson was previously base in Northland, where Sutherland grew up, and Sutherland said a chance encounter with the renowned horsewoman led her to a career with horses.

“My friends were out there with some Kaimanawas and they asked us if we wanted to come along. I was about 12-years-old and I went out with my sister, and we kept going back,” Sutherland said.

“When Vicki moved to Hawke’s Bay I moved down shortly after and lived with her for ages. She got some racehorses and I started riding around the track on them and enjoyed it. She ended up getting her trainer’s license and I signed up to her.”

Now based in Wanganui with Myers, Sutherland said she is also enjoying learning all aspects of dairy farming with the revered horseman and said that is a welcome distraction from the pressures of raceday riding.

“We are just doing calving here and I like working with the cows as well,” she said. “I knew nothing about cows before I came here, he (Kevin) taught me how to milk and help out around the farm.

“I really like what I am doing. This is the best place for me to be and I am very lucky to be where I am.”

Sutherland is hoping she can begin the new season in winning fashion when she heads south to Riccarton on Saturday where she will have six rides, including former Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Aljay in the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 127^th Winter Cup (1600m).

Sutherland has ridden him to four of his seven career victories to date, and she is keen to add one more this weekend.

“Aljay is a nice horse who has won from 1400m to two miles,” she said. “I won on him last start, which was really cool, so hopefully he is fresh enough to go a mile.”

Sutherland said she thrives on competing on raceday and couldn’t imagine doing anything else for a living.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow, I just like riding in races,” she said.