By Jordan Gerrans
In apprentice jockey Amy Graham, the late Chris Caserta saw a younger version of himself.
Caserta – who tragically passed away late last year – was a young rider with ambitions of making it to the top of the racing industry.
He did not come from a family that had a background in racing that gave him a leg up, he had to work for everything he received before his life was sadly cut short in December, 2021.
The lightweight hoop had a love for horses and travelled far and wide across Australia to gain greater opportunities and learn from different trainers and fellow jockeys.
The 25-year-old Graham – who made her race riding debut on Thursday – followed an almost identical path to her late mate Caserta before landing on the Gold Coast, like he did.
The apprentice to Gold Coast trainer John Zielke drew inspiration from her close friend in the lead-up to her official raceday debut and says he will continue to be a source of motivation throughout her tenure as a jockey.
“He was my biggest supporter, he was always telling me I could do it and become a jockey,” Graham said of the late Caserta.
“I did not really believe in myself a whole lot because I do not come from a racing background, my family are not racing or horse people to be honest.
“Looking around at everyone on the Gold Coast, they all seem to come from a very rich racing genes and I said that to Chris one day and he quickly told me that he also did not come from a racing background.
“He told me I could become a jockey like him and that just because we did not come from a racing background, that does not mean we could not be successful in racing.
“I looked at all the success that Chris had and it gave me a lot of motivation and belief in myself.”
Like many apprentices, Graham was full of nerves before starting her official trials as she built towards her race day debut.
Caserta – regarded as a popular hoop in the jockeys room wherever he rode – was in the back of her mind on that day when she did step out for her initial trials.
“I had my first trial not long after the incident happened – maybe a few months after – and I was thinking about him at the time as he was pumping me up to do my first trials as I was quite nervous,” she remembers.
“He was really excited for me to get going before he did pass away.
“He was and still is always in my mind, his attitude and advice giving me belief and confidence.
“Even now, I know that he is behind me, which is great.
“He was a really good person.”