Doncaster day at Randwick got off to a wet and windy start but it mattered little to mud-splattered apprentice Alex Stokes as she celebrated her biggest win.
The 25-year-old steered French Gift to a slogging victory for her master Stephen Hodge with several runners failing to handle the heavy conditions.
French Gift - Photo by Steve Hart
The autumn carnival success couldn’t have come at a better time for Stokes who finishes her apprenticeship in six weeks.
“This is one of my career highlights. It’s one of the biggest meetings of the carnival and it’s just great to ride here,” Stokes said.
Stokes grew up around horses and was inspired to become a jockey after watching the movie `Phar Lap’.
But adapting her knowledge of horses to a racing environment didn’t come easily and Stokes said Hodge had been instrumental in helping her gain confidence.
“I’ve been around horses my whole life … it’s just been having to learn the racing side of it. That has been really tough and being a girl is hard as well,” Stokes said.
“I’ve had to work twice as hard than the boys to get a name for myself.”
French Gift, backed from $21 into $14, relished the wet conditions to score by 1-3/4 lengths from Above All ($9) with Piazza San Pietro ($9) another two lengths away.
