Any jockey, from veteran to apprentice, who relocates to a new racing precinct wants to get off to a fast start and apprentice Campbell Rawiller did just that when saluting in only his second ride since moving to South Australia after his original plan to move to Western Australia was foiled by that state’s stringent Covid-19 protocols.
Rawiller would have been eyeing that important first win in his new surroundings on Saturday already at Morphettville, but again it was almost a false start as two of Rawiller’s three scheduled rides for the day were scratched.
The young hoop still nearly pulled it off though, but he had to settle for second spot on Irish Playboy in what turned out to be his only ride of the day.
Fast-forward to Strathalbyn on Sunday and Rawiller wasn’t waiting any longer as he drove the Ryan Balfour-trained Semyorka to victory in very first race on the card.
Balfour was the trainer who offered Rawiller a lifeline to move to South Australia when the rider’s Western Australia plans fell through and the positive payback from Rawiller was almost immediate.
“It’s a good result,” Rawiller told Racing.com after the win. “I probably got a little bit ambitious and went a little bit early yesterday, so Ryan (Balfour) had a little chat with me including a couple of other people, and I think it paid off then.”
“I’m here to give it my all whichever the result is, and I’ll be trying one hundred and ten percent every time I’m on board,” concluded Rawiller.
