New Zealand apprentice Ryan Hurdle hopes to leave local trainers with a lasting impression before a two-week stint riding in Queensland comes to an end.
Hurdle, 17, won a $NZ5000 scholarship from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and used it to try his luck riding in Queensland.
Hurdle, who has ridden more than 40 winners in New Zealand including a Group Three race, is the son of Palmerston North trainer Peter Hurdle.
His mother Nikki is also a trainer.
Hurdle, who claims three kilograms, made an immediate impression by winning with his first ride in Australia on the Rob Heathcote-trained Defenceman who scored by five lengths at Ipswich last Friday.
Heathcote was so impressed with Hurdle’s dedication and skill he has retained the teenager to have his first Saturday metropolitan ride in Australia aboard Defenceman in the Three-year-old Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Hurdle will get an earlier opportunity to ride his first Australian city winner when he partners the Heathcote pair Tail And All and Starlistic at Doomben on Wednesday.
Hurdle, who had one ride at the Gold Coast last Saturday and three at Caloundra on Sunday, is keen to return to Brisbane if the opportunity arises.
“I go home next Wednesday but hopefully this trip will open a few doors,” Hurdle said.
“I’d love to come back and ride permanently. If Mr Heathcote ever offered me the chance to ride for him I wouldn’t say no.
“It’s been a short trip but I’ve made the most of it.”
During his brief stay Hurdle has ridden at the provincial centres of the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Caloundra.
“I’ve been riding work at Eagle Farm but I haven’t been to Doomben yet,” he said.
“I’ve been to a few provincial tracks and I’m really looking forward to riding Defenceman on Saturday.
“He put them away easily at Ipswich but he’s got to make the step up in class but he’ll be right in it with a three-kilo claim.”
Hurdle, who left school at 16, has never wanted any other profession than to be a jockey.
“I was smart enough at school but I just didn’t like it,” he said.
“I much preferred to work with horses. I had a pony when I was growing up but I never did the pony club circuit.”
Hurdle enjoyed playing sport at school and was a useful athlete.
“I played a bit of rugby but I was keen at athletics,” he said.
“I was a stayer. I did a lot of cross country and road races.”
Heathcote had no hesitation retaining Hurdle for Defenceman, who he rates a Group One Queensland Derby contender at the Brisbane winter carnival.
“From the limited time Ryan has been here he’s had a variety of rides at different tracks,” Heathcote said.
“He’s a great lad with good ambitions.
“Defenceman is a work in progress but Ryan rode him well at Ipswich and any horse who can follow up a maiden win with a class one win at his next start is a good horse.”
AAP TURF
