Bridget Grylls excited about first Randwick ride

Brisbane apprentice Bridget Grylls will call on an old family connection for advice when she rides for the first time at Randwick.

The 23-year-old will ride Brisbane mare Hidden Pearl in the Group Three Concorde Stakes (1000m) in a lead-up to The Shorts at Randwick two weeks later.

Grylls is from one of New Zealand’s best known racing families as the daughter of champion jockey Gary Grylls and the sister of multiple Group One winning rider Craig Grylls.

She is looking forward to her assignment and will get some insight into Randwick from another New Zealander, premier Sydney jockey James McDonald.

“It is one of the great racetracks in the world. I have only ridden in Brisbane in Australia but I have ridden against a lot of the big name jockeys when they come to Brisbane,” Grylls said.

“James McDonald is a family friend so I will have a chat to him about how best to ride Randwick.”

Grylls has made a name for herself in Brisbane, finishing fourth on the senior riders premiership in her first full season in 2014-15.

A broken wrist stalled Grylls late last year but she has been back riding at her best in recent months.

“The wrist took longer than expected to heal but I took a holiday to Europe which I really enjoyed. It has taken a little while to get my connections back,” she said.

Grylls is apprenticed to Hidden Pearl’s trainer Barry Lockwood and she has been the regular rider of Hidden Pearl who has won six of her past nine starts.

“Barry has stuck by me and of course I would love to win a big race for him,” Grylls said.

Rain is expected in Sydney late in the week but Grylls says that won’t be a problem for Hidden Pearl.

“She goes well in the wet and we have a light weight (54kg), so big rain won’t worry us,” she said.