It’s been a month of firsts for Erin Leighton, with the former jockey completing her first shift on horseback as a presenter for Trackside at Hastings earlier this month before cheering home her first winner as an owner at Matamata last Friday.
Leighton recorded 41 wins in the saddle over seven seasons as a jockey, but said she felt nervous for the first time on race day when watching the Danica Guy-trained Cleat (NZ) (Rios) head out onto the track to contest the KR Bell Electrical (1200m) last week.
“I never get nervous on race day,” she said. “I wasn’t nervous pre-race but once that lead rope was unclipped and it is just up to the jockey, that is when I got a little bit nervous.”
The seven-year-old gelding jumped away well for jockey Masa Hashizume and the pair went straight to the front where they were able to dictate terms throughout and score a three-quarter length victory.
“I never thought I would enjoy anything more than riding on race day but that was right up there with it,” Leighton said.
“He had shown quite a bit in track work, so it was nice to get a maiden win with him and he did it with a bit of confidence and quite stylishly.”
Leighton purchased the son of Rios off gavelhouse.com in conjunction with Guy for $4,200 and has enjoyed the process of getting him back to the track after a two-year hiatus.
“I have been working with Danica for the last five years and she stood Rios,” Leighton said. “I got to know Rios really well and I have broken in and worked a lot with Rios’ progeny through Danica’s stable. She follows all of Rios’ progeny out of interest.
“He (Cleat) came up for sale on Gavelhouse and she knew what the Rios’ need, they don’t want real wet ground, and they don’t want to go over a trip.
“She needed the horse like a hole in the head, but I was really keen, and I said for her to buy him, and I will pick him up and get him going, and get him under saddle again because he had been out of work for two years. She agreed to it, and we were able to buy him, and we all fell in love with him.
“He did a lot of dressage to start off with, just to try and get him a bit stronger.”
Cleat is set to return to the races at Hastings next month and Leighton is hopeful he can quickly add to his win tally.
“We will have a crack at a couple of Saturday races now,” she said. “We are going to try and have a crack at the MAAT 1400m on the last day at Hawke’s Bay. It is obviously a big step up but we thought he ran really well.”
While Leighton will be at Hawke’s Bay cheering on Cleat, she will be doing so from horseback at the track presenting for Trackside.
Injury had curtailed Leighton’s jockey career, and it was while campaigning horses in Australia for Wexford Stables that she saw an opportunity to take another career direction within the industry.
“I got to know a few of the Entain crew through my trips to Australia with Wexford horses,” she said. “I was really keen to explore that side (broadcasting) of racing and they were willing to give me an opportunity, so I was grateful for that.
“I am training at the moment and the long-term goal is to have me doing the post-race jockey interviews on horseback. They have quietly started to step me up and teach me, and I am starting to talk to the camera a little bit. It’s a bit nerve-racking, but I have had some really good support through Trackside and Entain.
“They are a really good bunch of people to work with. Entain is exciting because they are fresh and new, and there are a lot of young guys in there that want to do the right thing by racing.
“All of the Trackside presenters have been really helpful too. It is a really good environment and I am excited to have a go at that.”
Leighton said that while it was hard to come to terms with the end of her jockey career, she said it has opened up other avenues within the industry, and she is excited about the future.
“I had shoulder surgery that has failed, so I don’t think I will ever stand up to riding full-time again,” she said.
“It took me ages to come to the decision of not going back to the races at all as a jockey, but closing the door on that has opened the door to other things. It needed to happen, but it was tough to take.
“I didn’t want to leave the industry, but I didn’t quite know where I fit in. Doing this job (presenter) is really cool because it means that I get to look at horses and do the form, which I used to really love doing as a jockey. I get to yap about horses, which is probably my forte.
“I would love for it to turn into something more. I have just got to work hard, learn as much as I can, and see where it can take me.”
