Cejay Graham had a big smile on her face, and it had nothing to do with her on-going run of success which saw her reel in yet another two metropolitan doubles at Eagle Farm and Ipswich over the last seven days.
Graham had received the news that an extension to her apprenticeship, which was due to expire on April 25, had been approved allowing her to campaign as an apprentice for a further three months with her revised apprenticeship period now due to expire on July 25.
“How good,” was Graham’s response.
“I was rapt to be granted that. I was pretty confident I would because, obviously, I have had so much time out with injury, but it was still a relief to get the call.”
A broken back and two wrist injuries forced Graham out of the saddle for lengthy periods of time.
“I was out for a year with the back … and each wrist was a year as well, because I had to have two surgeries. I absolutely crushed them. It probably doesn’t sound like much … a wrist … but they took a long time to heal … a long time.
“At least now, with the extra three months, I’ll finish up as an apprentice just a week short of the end of the season … and hopefully I can keep up that leading margin in the Apprentice Premiership.
“I am going to continue working hard and I hope I can score the Premiership. That’s my first goal. My second goal is to keep riding in Brisbane and keep getting results when I do make the transition.
“Also, it will also be nice to just get through a full season. I haven’t ridden many full seasons in my career.
‘I’ve learnt so much since coming to Brisbane. I’ve got to keep on learning and, I guess, you have to keep on improving if you want to successfully take that step up to be a senior rider.
“Hopefully, I can do that.
“It has been a great season so far. I don’t know how successful I would have been without Kelly Schweida (Graham’s boss).
“He’s backed me the whole way. He has supported me in every aspect, and it is so good to know he has got my back in every situation.
“He’s the best!”
Graham currently leads the Brisbane Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership by fifteen-and-a-half wins with a little over four months of the season left to run. She also currently sits in second place on the Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership with forty-five winners at a strike-rate of 13.4 percent.
