Apprentice Emily Lang a star on the rise

By Andrew Smith

Queensland are on the verge of wrapping up the 2023 National Apprentice Race Series, with Emily Lang leading the charge to bring the silverware to the Sunshine State.

The rising star of the apprentice jockey ranks had a day to remember at Strathalbyn late last month, winning both NARS heats aboard Li’l Hank and Bonnie Gangster.

The double put Queensland firmly at the top of the NARS standings, before that lead was extended at Eagle Farm last week, ahead of the series finale at Sandown on April 19.

Team captain Angela Jones will take those honours, but Lang was chuffed to play her part in the South Australian leg.

“I was very lucky with the barriers and the horses, they had nice form at Strathalbyn,” Lang said.

“I was hoping to have a good day but turned out a lot better than what I was hoping at the start of the day.”

Senior Apprentice Coach Shane Scriven was delighted to see the faith he’d had in the 22-year-old pay off after selecting her to race at Strathalbyn.

“First thing Emily said to me was, ‘we’ve drawn good barriers’ so that was a big help, she gave them the run of the race,” Scriven said.

“The market said they’d be hard to beat and that was proven correct - Emily gave them both 10 out of 10 rides.

“I’m very proud of her, she’s got a very bright future and I’m so happy Queensland are in front.”

It’s been a meteoric rise for Lang who is indentured to Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted, posting 57 victories so far after debuting in June last year.

Her debut weekend saw her record a perfect five wins from five starts at the Warwick Turf Club.

“It was a really awesome day, obviously my whole family was there and Steve and a lot of people that supported me around the time were all there,” Lang said.

“My first winner of the day was for Steve and then a couple of others were Kacy Fogden and all trainers that generally have horses in a big race as well.

“So I felt a little bit privileged to be able to ride for them and that result with my family and everyone being there was pretty special.

“I was really nervous and they’d already been rained out the week before so I think I was just expecting to go there and maybe get one winner.

“But at the end of the day I didn’t really believe what could happen and even now I think about it and can’t believe I did that - I’m lucky to get a couple of winners at a meeting now!”

The senior member of the co-training partnership praised his apprentice for enduring a tough initiation of jump outs and trials before her first race rides.

“You only make that first impression once so we went towards the trials with the idea to try and do as many as we can with 50 or 60 and have her really as prepared and experienced as we could,” Steve O’Dea said.

“Obviously race day riding is a different thing again but it definitely stood her in good stead when she made her debut at the races.

“She’s always been a good rider at home doing track work - the improvement that we could even see in her with the way she was getting horses to trial, particularly horses that were inexperienced and needed teaching as well.

“It was probably only in those last 15 or 20 trials that you could see a big change.

“We always had good faith in her when she went to the races that was certainly going to do the job and she did.”

Lang grew up competing in show jumping and eventing, and after spending time with the Matt Smith stable in Sydney, eventually headed north to work for Chris Munce at Eagle Farm.

She is now firmly entrenched in the Queensland jockey ranks but the transition into racing wasn’t initially well-received by her family.

“Mum and Dad weren’t too happy as they know how dangerous it can be but they love it now and watch every single race I ride in so they’re really supportive - I’m really lucky,” Lang said.

“All my basic track work riding and what not I’ve learnt from Chris Munce.

“With Steve and Matt, I can’t really thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and supported me so far.

“I’ve been very lucky with the stable I’m at and the support I’m getting - Steven and Matt have a lot of connections and I’ve just been really lucky to get the opportunities I’ve had.”

While she’s lucky enough to ride Oakleigh Plate winner Uncommon James in trackwork, it’s Lang’s efforts with other charges in the O’Dea/Hoysted stable that has impressed most.

“She’s a huge asset to the stable, even now she’s at the races and that too, you can see how much she’s improved now even as a rider at home,” O’Dea said.

“She gives great feedback with the horses that she rides in trackwork.

“There’s a lot of our more difficult horses in the stable too that are a little bit hard to ride and little bit tricky and she rides a lot of those horses as well.

“It's all well and good to be riding the straightforward type of horses but it’s these tricky horses and stuff like that that can probably teach you the most.

“She’s definitely taken the benefits of that and continues to improve.”

Lang is booked for seven rides at Gatton on Easter Saturday, but has high hopes beyond this weekend.

“Probably in the next year I’ll be going provincial, next four or so months,” she said.

“Hopefully I can try and ride as many winners there and be ready for the following year, ready to go metropolitan.”