Veteran hoop Brad Pengelly retires to join mining industry

By Tony McMahon

Veteran jockey Brad Pengelly will start a new career in the mining industry after retiring on a high with a winner at his last meeting.  

The 45-year-old piloted the Glenda Bell-trained Oslen to victory in a Maiden over 1400 metres at Yeppoon on Tuesday in what would be his third last ride before announcing he would hang up his saddle.  

Weight issues have plagued the Gladstone-born jockey over the years, and he had even contemplated stepping away from riding last summer but persisted until this week’s unexpected announcement.  

Pengelly (right) said he had battled weight problems for many years and the arduous effort of having to sweat to get down ride at 57kg had taken its toll.  

"I started to think seriously about getting out last summer as it’s my body was just not recovering from all the sweating and wasting,” Pengelly explained  

“I have always had a serious weight battle, but I had hoped I would get lighter as I got older. It wasn’t to be.   

“It has become so hard and strenuous that I actually have to lose a couple of kilos just to ride 57kg. I am just not enjoying it anymore and I believe it is time to secure my future.  

“I have been fortunate enough to secure a job in the mining industry in Central Queensland, so I have been lucky. I believe that will be my future now”.  

The future always looked bright for a baby-faced Brad Pengelly, son of Gladstone trainer Phillip Pengelly, from the day he rode his first winner on April 2, 1994, on his home track.  

He would go on to win more than 1500 races throughout Australia and overseas.  

As the winners flowed in, Pengelly attracted the attention of Sydney trainer Alan Bell before he became indentured to former champion jockey the Randwick-based trainer Ron Quinton.  

Pengelly soon became a trademark name in Sydney where over his career he won hundreds of races including scores at Royal Randwick where he captured the time-honoured Group 2 Villiers Handicap (1600m) on Careal Boy in 2001.  

In all, Pengelly won nine races on Careal Boy.  

During his career, the gun hoop had numerous special wins including two at Group 2 level, six Group 3 races and more than 20 Listed Races.  

“In my mind probably the best race I won was on Pat Duff’s Heart Of The Citi in a one-million-dollar Magic Millions 3YO at the Gold Coast,” Pengelly recalled.  

That was in 2008 during a period when he was under strong demand from trainers of the likes of Bruce McLachlan and Gerald Ryan.  

Even 15 years ago, weight battles were Pengelly’s nemesis although winners on Brisbane metropolitan tracks kept coming on a weekly basis before, he rode overseas in Malaysia and Mauritius.  

At one stage the weight battle had become so intense, that from 2012 to 2015 he stopped riding to “rest the body”.  

During his halcyon years in Sydney, he won numerous races for star Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse and was in demand from Bart Cummings.  

On one occasion, he rode four winners on a Sydney Saturday card although he twice steered home five winners – once at Mackay and the other on the Sunshine Coast.  

In more recent years, Brisbane-based Pengelly concentrated on being a FIFO jockey, riding on the northern TAB circuit of Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns and saluting the judge on more than 150 occasions.  

Of these 54 were at Callaghan Park, Rockhampton.  

“I believe I can leave my jockeying career being certain that I can hold my head high and I am proud of that”, Pengelly said.