Four years ago, Elle Sole hadn’t even watched a horse race let alone have an inkling of pursuing a career in the sport, but now she can call herself a winning jockey.
Growing up riding her pony in the bush, racing was never in the picture for Sole until she started doing work experience with local New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler while at school, so it was only fitting that she recorded her first win aboard one of his horses at New Plymouth on Friday.
The 20-year-old apprentice jockey was riding at her first meeting and Wheeler had given her three rides, with the best left until last – Herbert in the Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Maiden (1600m).
Sole started off the day with a sixth place aboard Keen On Bubbles in the Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Maiden (1200m), but her confidence took a hit when she finished last aboard Zivjeli in the Grangewilliam Stud 1400m.
However, her confidence was quickly restored knowing she had her best winning chance to come, and she didn’t disappoint, steering Herbert to a 1-3/4 length victory, rewarding both Wheeler and punters alike, who had backed him into $1.70 favouritism.
Sole was rapt to get the result, particularly aboard a horse she rides every day for her employer, Wheeler.
“He is one of the best horses in the stable at the moment, he is a very nice horse,” Sole said.
“He is quiet as and he doesn’t put a foot wrong. He just wonders around and does his own thing. I have been riding him every day since he came back from the breakers.
“It was pretty cool to get that win. I am very grateful to everyone who has helped me.”
Sole was particularly grateful to Wheeler, who took her under his wing as a school student with no racing knowledge or background and nurtured her talent and enthusiasm for riding that she had honed in the bush as a kid.
“My Mum and Dad are logging contractors. They never rode horses and one day I asked for a pony, and they bought me a 12 hand pony,” Sole said. “Dad used to take me to work with him and I would ride around the bush. I didn’t do any competing, I just rode around on my pony until I was 16.
“I was doing work experience in the logging industry with my Dad and Mum, and they asked me what else I was interested in because they wanted me to have two days out of school. I said I was interested in horses, so they rang up a few trainers and I got into John Wheelers.
“I didn’t know anything about racing, I hadn’t even watched a race before I worked at John’s. He took me to a jumpout one day and I asked him how do I become a jockey?
“I was grateful and happy to get the win for John because he has done a lot for me over the last four years.”
Wheeler got just as much satisfaction out of the win and said it was great he was able to reward Sole for all her hard work at his stable over the last few years.
“She has been working for me for nearly four years. She has got a great work ethic, is very loyal, so I had to be loyal to her, that is why I gave her a winning ride,” Wheeler said.
“It is good if you can get them (apprentice jockeys) going and once they win a race they settle down as riders and think about things a bit more when they get the monkey off their back.”
Coming from a non-racing background, Wheeler said Sole has had her work cut out for her over the last few years, but she has been more than up to the task.
“She is a really good rider in her own right, the issue that people like her have is that she comes from a non-racing family, so it takes a long time to learn the lingo and the idiosyncrasies of the industry,” he said.
Wheeler was also pleased to see Herbert, who he owns with good mates Carey Hobbs and Dennis “Herbert” Dunn, breakthrough for his maiden win after five previous runner-up results.
“He drew the outside, did a fair bit of work in the running and he was too strong in the straight, but to be fair he is a class above those horses,” Wheeler said.
“It was great to get the win with a couple of good mates. Dennis’ nickname is Herbert Hunt, that is why we named him (horse) Herbert. He had a roofing company in Melbourne for a long time. He is a Kiwi and he retired and came back to New Zealand, and he is now a salesman for Signature Homes. He is enjoying it back here and he has got a good horse. Carey and I have been mates for 50 years and we still have a beer together most Friday nights. It is great to have a friend like him.”
Sole is looking forward to continuing her career as a jockey, with her immediate focus on improving as a rider.
“I am not too worried about the winners because they will come, I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing, thinking smart, and riding well,” she said.
