By Tony McMahon
The motto ‘the harder I work the luckier I get’ has been a crucial ingredient in the success of countless numbers of individuals down through time.
That is particularly so in the racing industry and Rockhampton jockey Sonja Wiseman is a fine ambassadress of tireless work ethics, which is attributing to her productive and increasing triumphs of late.
Such was the case at the Mackay TAB races yesterday where Sonja booted home three winners – Hey Pal ($4.40); Fratellino ($11.00) and Ifyouknowhatimean ($2.60).
Her ride on the market firmer, Clinton Taylor’s Hey Pal in the $31K QTIS 3YO Handicap (1300m) typified that she is both a fine horsewoman and a thinking jockey.
Trapped wide in the early and middle stages and looking likely to remain there, Wiseman in a daring move booted Hey Pal around the leading bunch to surge to the lead before the 600 metres point.
It was a winning manoeuvre as Hey Pal revelled in sprinting to the leader’s role and smashed his rivals with ever increasing gusto to beat favourite Tabatha Miss (Elly Smith, $3.40) by eight lengths.
Some 37 minutes later the winning margin on Mackay trainer Tracy Simmons’ trained Fratellino $11.00) in the Class 6 Plate (1300m) was barely a nose and once again Elly Smith rode the runner-up Cinnamon Missile ($5.50).
It was easier for Wiseman on her third winner the Olivia Cairns trained Ifyouknowhatimean who took out the BM 58 Handicap (1560m) from Corporal (Trinity Bannon, $11.00) by 2.5 lengths.
Just last Thursday at Townsville the Wiseman-Ifyouknowhatimean combination were successful which culminated a hectic day for the Rocky jockey.
After riding trackwork at Callaghan Park last Wednesday morning, Sonja drove the 717km and eight hours to Townsville where she rode the next day.
“After the races I jumped in the car and drove by myself back to Rocky to ride in the jump outs at Yeppoon on Friday morning. I was tired when it was all over that’s for sure,” Wiseman said.
A journeywoman jockey who has ridden throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory, her dedication is such it is nothing for her to ride trackwork from 3am to 8am at Callaghan Park racecourse.
While the COVID-19 times have been trying for many not so Elly Smith another hard-working jockey who has had a sensationally fortuitous extension of multiple winners over the last six weeks.
Smith teamed with her younger brother, the trainer Tom Smith, 19, to win the $31K QTIS 2YO Handicap (1100m) with Natural Emperor ($1.95) who made a one act winning affair romping home by 6.5 lengths.
A product of the Capricornia Yearling Sales claiming $23,250 for the win under the brilliant QTIS fillies bonus scheme, Smith said the filly would be set for the CYS Spring Classic later this year.
Elly Smith also won on her grand supporter John Manzelmann’s Ella A Walking ($4.80) which in hindsight would have been a topical tip.
Gifted heavyweight Rockhampton jockey Asley Butler scored a winning double per medium of fellow Rockyite stakeholders, the trainer Peter Fleming’s Top Rung ($6.50) and Tim Cook’s Santisimo ($1.75).
The Rockhampton Jockey Club will stage TAB meetings at Callaghan Park next Saturday and there again on June 13 while they will also host a TAB race day at Keppel Park, Yeppoon on June 6.