The European influence on Australian racing will be extended to the jockeys’ room when Frenchman Thomas Huet rides at Randwick for the first time on Saturday.
In an era when Australian punters warm more easily to northern hemisphere horses than jockeys from that part of the world, early statistics say Huet could turn out to be an exception.
Since being licenced to ride in Australian races in March, the 29-year-old has impressed close followers of Sydney provincial racing.
So much so, in 43 rides Huet has booted home nine winners – seven for Gai Waterhouse and one each for John O’Shea and John Sargent.
He heads to Randwick as a last-start winner after Hawkesbury success for Sargent on Thursday.
“The racecourses where I ride (like) Kembla and Newcastle are very good tracks but Randwick is an amazing place and it’s very exciting to be riding there,” Huet said.
“I know everything is in Brisbane now but it’s very exciting to ride at a big meeting like tomorrow.”
Huet has been an instant hit with Waterhouse and her Tulloch Lodge operation because of his dedication to trackwork.
“He gets through a mountain of work at trackwork,” his manager Paul Joice said.
“He takes more rides of a morning than anyone else and that obviously has him in Gai’s good books.”
Huet has ridden more than 450 winners in France and has had riding stints in Dubai, Germany and Italy but he wants to stay as long as he can in Australia as he is thriving under the Waterhouse regime.
“I am very happy to work with Gai because if you work with her you learn something every day … she is an amazing person,” Huet said.
“She is a very good trainer and everyday I learn something new in the stable.”
With Tulloch Lodge’s No.1 jockey Nash Rawiller making a late decision to ride in Brisbane, mounts on the Waterhouse-trained Under The Sun and Queenstown became available and Huet gladly accepted the opportunity.
Huet also has rides for Anthony Cummings and Grahame Begg.
