Apprentice jockey enjoying North Queensland stint

By Jordan Gerrans

Apprentice jockey Rebecca Wilson’s loan stint in North Queensland has been a win-win for all parties.

The 24-year-old has spent the last few months riding across the north of the state while being based at Cluden Park at Townsville.

She headed north for more race riding experience and in turn, the trainers in NQ were keen to bring another apprentice to the area to help ride track work and use her valuable claim on race day.

Wilson believes she is getting what she needed out of the move and local trainers have raved about her efforts since she arrived.

The natural lightweight heads further north on Thursday of this week with two winning chances at Cairns’ Cannon Park.

Townsville’s Bonnie Thomson is a trainer that has utilized Wilson’s services plenty in recent weeks and she has been pleased with how the emerging youngster has performed.

Thomson is dual-licensed as a trainer and a jockey but a fall at Mackay earlier this year has put her on the sidelines from being in the saddle.

Thomson can still train her small team out of Townsville but has called upon Wilson, among others, to ride her track work.

“She is a kid that did not get that many opportunities down in Brisbane and we are trying to convince her to extend her loan period up here and stay longer,” Thomson said.

“Hopefully she stays up here as that is where she will get the most chances as a rider.

“She is a brilliant track work rider and has done a good job with all my horses. She rides most of my work.”

Wilson has picked up regular race day rides on the TAB and country circuit since she shifted north, collecting winners at Townsville, Innisfail and Home Hill.

She is indentured to Michael Lakey at Deagon and is on loan to Les Gordy at Cluden Park until the end of August.

Wilson said on Wednesday morning that she was weighing up whether she would stay on past the end of next month. 

While Gordy only has a small team in work, Wilson is able to help out trainers, including Thomson, among others.

“My time in Townsville has not been too bad, the people have been nice and supportive,” Wilson said.

“A couple of opportunities in Townsville came up because they were short of track work riders and with the carnival season going on in Brisbane, I thought I was better off going up north and looking for opportunities up here.”

Wilson has been riding since the 2019-20 campaign and featured often at tracks such as Bundaberg, Gympie and Gladstone before her further northern loan spell.

The 45-year-old Thomson thinks Wilson has what it takes to make the grade.

“She has a lot of potential as a jockey as she is a natural lightweight,” Thomson said.

“She has the opportunity up here to take in a lot of knowledge from other people and that will help her as she goes along.

“She still has a good claim, which always helps.”

Wilson has two rides at Cairns on Thursday: Spring's Gift and Bergkamp, both for Townsville trainer Gavin Kinlyside.

Spring's Gift only went down by a length in maiden grade last start and the apprentice thinks she will be competitive with a slight step-up in trip on Thursday.

“I reckon the filly will go well,” she said.

“Her run the other week at Townsville, that gave me a pretty good impression and I think she will be up for the task on Thursday. We were happy with the run the other day.”