3 minute read

An exciting South Australian racing initiative preparing the track riders and even trainers and jockeys of tomorrow has been hailed an overwhelming success.

The Racing SA Track Work Rider Skill Set Program, run in conjunction with Skillinvest and supported by SA Government funding, taught a select group of young people essential racing skills ranging from basic trackwork to riding thoroughbreds in pace work.

The young people couldn't have been in better hands. They were guided through the three-month program by champion jockey, Racing SA's Clare Lindop, and Skillinvest trainer Linda Lonergan - and they had access to some of SA's best facilities.

"We needed the Registered Training Organisation on board so it was essential to partner up with Skillinvest," Lindop says. "That gave students the opportunity to complete the trackwork certificate and gain nationally-accredited racing qualifications.

Classes were held four times a week to cater for the various needs of the participants with many students fitting this course around other study and job commitments. Students gained confidence at the Dibden Park Equestrian Centre across the road from the Oakbank racecourse before actually getting the opportunity to ride on the famous course. After riding at Oakbank, the course took them to Morphettville, Gawler, Murray Bridge and Strathalbyn.

Students were taken through four units, from developing basic trackwork skills to riding pace work. And while the program was designed to develop a new generation of trackwork riders, the care of the horse - equine welfare - was a non-negotiable component.

"It was important to teach the students pace and time and that not all trackwork is about going flat out," Lindop says. "It's about  keeping the horse happy, understanding its action and being able to report back to the trainer about how the horse felt. Care of the horse is paramount.

"There's a great demand for track work riders who play an essential role in the industry but it's a job with a great deal of responsibility and being taught correctly makes everyone safer. It's how you take that step from having riding ability to actually riding a thoroughbred on a racecourse that matters."

Support of the industry was an important factor in the program's success. That support included trainers providing Racing SA equine welfare officer John Cornell with six retired racehorses that could be retrained for a new role for the students, the use of Dibden Park's 90 hectare property and access to the various racetracks.

"The kids were up to doing even time by the end of the course," Lindop adds. "They'll go on to have careers in the industry and, who knows, they may become our leading trainers and jockeys of the future."

Upon completion of the program, successful students gained a paid Track Work Certificate III Traineeship working for a racehorse trainer.