Winter racing is a crucial phase in an apprentice jockey’s career, offering them the chance to hone their skills, build resilience, and gain vital raceday experience. While winter might be seen as racing’s quieter season, for apprentice jockeys in New Zealand, it's a pivotal time for progression, exposure, and growth. While many might focus on the glamour of summer racing, the winter season offers our developing riders a chance to shine!

Increased Ride Opportunities

During winter, senior jockeys often travel overseas, take a break, or become more selective with their rides, creating more riding opportunities for apprentices. With fewer big-name jockeys in regular action, apprentices often find themselves picking up quality rides across more races. These increased number of rides allows apprentices to gain valuable raceday experience, make connections, and learn from more seasoned professionals in a competitive environment.

Building Toughness and Experience

The winter months bring muddy tracks, colder conditions, and often unpredictable weather, making racing more physically demanding. For apprentice jockeys, this is the perfect training ground to build both their mental and physical strength. As the tracks are heavy, wet and testing, horses run significantly slower, giving apprentices time to think amongst the race itself. These conditions require apprentices to become technically sound and physically strong. Learning to handle different surfaces, pace their mounts efficiently, and position themselves correctly in the run are all critical skills.

Claiming Allowance Becomes an Asset

Weight relief can make a significant difference on heavier winter tracks, especially for top-weight horses contesting tough staying conditions! Apprentices with claiming allowances are especially valuable to trainers looking to lighten a horse’s load and gain a competitive edge. This often leads to more raceday opportunities and helps build the apprentice’s record and confidence.

Greater Opportunities in the Saddle

With fewer black-type races and headline-grabbing events, winter racing offers much less pressure for our apprentices to get their bearings. With fewer big-name horses running in the winter months, apprentice jockeys often get the opportunity to ride a wider variety of horses.

Building Relationships and Networking

With more opportunities on racedays, apprentices can begin to form relationships with trainers, owners, and other jockeys. These connections are vital as apprentices build their careers and seek consistent rides throughout the racing season.

Momentum Into the Spring

Winter success can create serious momentum. An apprentice who rides a string of winners through June and July heads into the spring with confidence, recent form, and bookings lined up. They’re also more likely to be considered for better-quality horses in maiden and rating races as stables gear up for the new season.

You can catch our apprentices in action at New Plymouth Raceway this Thursday, 5^th of June for the Apprentice Only Raceday!