Gold Coast rider Jag Guthmann-Chester has never been to Launceston but will feel quite at home when he competes in the fourth heat of the National Apprentice Jockeys Series at Mowbray on Wednesday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Guthmann-Chester’s father and grandfather are originally from Tasmania and he expects to have plenty of family support in the crowd.
“All their side of the family are in Launceston so I’m really looking forward to coming down,” the jockey said.
“It’s the first time I’ve been selected to represent Queensland and it’s great that I’ve got seven rides at the meeting.”
Guthmann-Chester, 19, rides at 52 kilograms and is apprenticed to Gold Coast trainer Bruce Hill.
He has ridden 60 winners and reduced his provincial claim to 2kg.
“My best day at the races was at Murwillumbah a couple of months ago when I got four winners from five rides,” he said.
STEPHEN BROWN, who will represent Victoria, is probably the tallest jockey in Australia.
He stands at 188cm, or just over 6ft 2in, yet is still able to ride at 56kg.
Brown, 17, is the son of Flemington-based trainer and former jockey Stephen Brown Snr.
He is originally from Darwin where he still rides on a regular basis.
Brown has ridden 31 winners in Victoria and the Northern Territory.
The other interstate apprentices contesting the Tasmanian heat are Fiona Bell from Western Australia and Brandon Griffiths from South Australia.
Bell is originally from Zimbabwe where her only involvement with horses was in the show jumping arena.
Griffiths has ridden 31 winners and had his first metropolitan success on Let’s Tango at Morphettville on Saturday.
SHERRY BARR is the home state’s official representative and the only rider that can earn points for Tasmania in the overall competition.
Hayley McCarthy, Shiralee Maher and Chris Graham will also ride in the race but only to make up the numbers.
McCarthy, Victor Wong and Raquel Clark have already had their turn in other interstate heats.
Maher will ride in the WA heat on April 5.
WA leads the points table after the first three heats. Tasmania is last and needs to win both remaining heats to have any chance.