Women might be taking over Melbourne’s racecourses for the Spring Racing Carnival, but on the track, they are struggling to gain a foothold.
Female jockeys have learnt when it’s time for the big races, the girls who work the racehorses the rest of the year have to make way for big-name male riders.
Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes, with 30 years of experience in the industry, is an advocate for female riders. But he questions whether the female riders can match it against the men.
“They’re terrific horse people and they ride plenty of winners, but in the big races, everyone goes for an edge,” he said.
“They probably don’t have the strength of the boys. That’s why in the Grand Slams, the women don’t play against the men.”
During the spring carnival, horse owners tend to take as few risks as possible and a stable affiliation with a jockey isn’t enough.
“They always want the hottest in-form rider. At the moment, the top riders in Australia are men,” Hayes said.
One of Hayes’ stable jockeys, apprentice Kayla Nisbet, 19, is more optimistic about the future.
Nisbet is one of 32 apprentice jockeys who have been granted permits by Racing Victoria. Of those, 14 are female.
In the senior ranks, just 16 of 145 jockeys are female.
Racing is in transition, Nisbet said, with a rise in the number of female apprentices.
“We’re just starting to come through now,” she said.
“Girls tend to be naturally lighter than the boys so I think in 10 years or so, we might probably outnumber the boys. They’re going to have to become more accepting of us.”
One of the big inspirations for young female apprentices is leading female jockey Michelle Payne.
Payne is the only Victorian-based female rider to have achieved Group 1 success. She claimed her first Group 1 in the 2009 Toorak Handicap on Allez Wonder.
Payne then went on to win Group 1s in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes, Thousand Guineas and Tiara Stakes, all aboard the recently retired Yosei.
As the youngest of eight children in her family to become a jockey, Payne finds it a big change to be the one being looked up to and asked for advice.
Although she has had a highly decorated career, Payne has gone through the hardships of riding winners in the provincials and then losing the rides when the horses come to Melbourne.
She said it was important to not get hung up about it, because it happened to all riders as they came through the ranks.
“Owners put a lot of money into their horses so if they don’t want a female jockey, that’s fair enough,” she said.
“I just think it’s a bit sad that if you have a connection with a horse and they’re not willing to try it.”
Payne encouraged girls to look beyond the gender battle, saying that in the end, “if you have some ability, you get the opportunity”.
“They think we’re the weaker sex and we are not strong enough in the finish. If you look at Glen Boss, he’s one of the leading riders and he’s not a strong whip rider but he gets a horse to go as fast as it can go through his way of riding,” she said.
“I think that’s a big thing. Seeing him as a leading rider, I think if you compare females to him, it’s similar because at the end of the day if you get a horse to go as fast as it can go, that’s what you’re aiming for.”
Payne said there were some promising young female riders coming through.
“There’s the obvious ones in Kayla Nisbet and Katelyn Mallyon who are doing really well. Jackie Berriman too. She’s got a lot of ability,” she said.
This article was first published by Herald Sun on October 29.
Albo
Guest
I am a fan of the female jockey brigade too, But like the male jockeys there is both a real and a perceived class difference and a pecking order for them. Much of their indiviudual success at higher levels, is solely due to the support given to them by their loyal trainers who really know their ability ! In the case of Clare Lndop, the best and strongest female rider we have, she is a multiple Group1 winner, thanks to the knowledge and loyalty of he great trainer Leon Macdonald. She would have won more GP 1's like last year's Caulfield Cup on Southern Speed if thje owners had maintained the same loyalty as the trainer. Similar opportunities hve been afforded Michelle Payne by Stuart Webb (Yosie trainer) and more recently support by Darren Weir. These astute trainers know the ability of these female riders. Another is Cathy O'Hara and her support from Guy Walter. But the trainers can get quickly overuled by the nervous owners., But we can't get too precious with the female jockeys not getting too many big race rides, there are also many great male jockeys who can't get rides in town especally at this time of year. What the hell has a jockey like Vlad Duric done to not be able to get a ride on Caulfield Cup day, get two roughie rides only on Cox Plate day, and one roughie ride only on Derby day ? Unfortunately for both quality male and female jockeys, you need a large amount of luck or great marketing ability to be in the Spring Carnival pecking order for the chance at the big payouts !
Quinn
Guest
Kayla Nisbet and Jamie Kah are guns. I'd back them both in to become multiple Group 1 winners in their careers. I think its great that an ol' timer like David Hayes gives Kayla so many opportunities. Compare him to Gai Waterhouse who is allegdly the biggest advocate for women in racing yet never puts a girl on her horses. Great article!
Casper
Guest
So let's think outside the box. What if the 'weaker' sex were given a 1kg allowance in Group 1 & 2 races to make up for their 'alleged' lack of strength? Would it make the difference to a horse handicapped at 58-59kg, some trainers might think so. The 'boys club' is alive & well at carnival time. Last saturday at mooney valley, clare lindop, shirley hunter, michelle payne & sally wynne each had 1 ride, none in any group race. There has to be some effort made to progress or it will end up like the crowds at ordinary race meetings, just old codgers & no youth unless there's a rock concert after. Unless minimum weights continue to rise, I think the sport will be dominated by the girls in 10-15 years anyway. I reckon there are some fantastic female riders who get horses to travel for them & that often makes up for the so called 'bash' in the last 200m. Everyone seems to identify that last furlong as critical whereas sometimes it's the ability to get a horse to travel & settle, which seems to be a trait most of the good female riders have going for them. If you look at
Drew H
Guest
I have been lucky enough to put a jockey bias in favour of Michelle Payne ridden horses. There's also good reason to give bias to Linda Meech. I think the predictions are right. Kayla Nisbet will prove plenty. She's only warming up. Clare Lindop showed us a great purple patch of riding recently.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Well said Drew H. And that last paragraph is an example of sexism in the industry. Because you have brought to light what is probably a common viewpoint. Look at the trots where that stigma doesn't exist - Kerryn Manning and Amanda Turnbull are two of the best drivers in Australia. In fact, there is a theory that says horses pace faster for female drivers because the horses can sense a change in the gig and take a liking to that - whether it be the different hold of the reins or lighter weight they have to pull I'm not sure. In racing I have no problems backing most female riders. Michelle Payne in form is a great jockey as is Linda Meech. Kayla Nisbet, a Victorian apprentice, has a bright future. Clare Lindop is an absolute champion jockey and Jamie Kah has the potential to be a star.
Drew H
Guest
The moment I think of female jockeys, I think of apprentices. When I think of apprentices, I divert and think of Travis Harrison. What a great example. Females can truely compete equally in horse racing; other sports......nah. Therese Payne was really good. Perhaps in the liking of RJ Skelton. We all love the hidden gift. We all want to fly like a bird. Who has the gift? Is it a game of pure strength? Kathy O'Hara has proven her group1 skills riding Ofcourseican, but she's not getting many big rides now. She was apprentice of the year, where she was placed at group1 on My Middi in the Sires Produce. Perhaps the benchmark is Linda Jones and the win on Holy Toledo. (or have I set the bar too high?) My conclusion is that we only see females in the same light as apprentices. We must let them stamp their names in the books too.