Apprentice Tiffani Brooker’s decision to make the trip from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane one day a week is starting to pay major dividends.
Brooker has burst into the limelight and is set to take advantage of a shortage of three-kilogram claiming apprentices in the metropolitan area.
Several senior apprentices will also come out of their time next month.
Brooker is now second on the metropolitan apprentices’ premiership behind Josh Oliver who is listed to come out of his time at the end of next month.
Brooker is apprenticed to Stuart Kendrick at Caloundra and rides work there most of the week.
But she also rides work at Eagle Farm each Thursday for some of the leading trainers including Robert Heathcote, Liam Birchley and Brian Smith.
Brooker had her first race ride for Birchley on Saturday and won on Lady Jetsetter at Doomben.
She recently won an open handicap on Saluter for Heathcote and a race at Eagle Farm on Knowing Frank for Smith.
“There are some opportunities around if you are willing to work,” Brooker said.
“I ride work on Thursdays in Brisbane and the trainers have been repaying me.”
Birchley was full of praise for Brooker.
“She has ridden plenty of winners and there aren’t many three-kilo claimers around at the moment. She will get more chances with me,” he said.
Lady Jetsetter is a Doomben short-course specialist having won four races at the track all at 1000m.
