Franklin determined to succeed following Gold Coast move

By Jordan Gerrans

After taking a four month break from race riding to get his weight at a manageable level, talented apprentice hoop Jasper Franklin is as eager as he has ever been to get his career back on track.

The 20-year-old has recently relocated to the Sunshine State and is working under Group 1-winning jockey turned trainer Peter Robl.

Like Franklin, Robl has over the last year moved north from NSW to set up shop at Aquis Park.

The three-kilogram claiming apprentice on the provincial circuit made his race day return on Thursday afternoon at Lismore and will take his maiden Queensland ride as a resident of the state on the Polytack on Saturday afternoon.

With his weight high and not getting many race day opportunities, Franklin stepped away for four months back in late May.

Franklin – who has two Sydney city victories to his name – is honest and readily admits that his attitude was poor in the time leading towards him taking the break.

“Once I was struggling to get rides, it was tools down and I stopped trying,” he said.

“I was only riding on Saturday in town and wasn’t riding elsewhere at all, it was a vicious cycle for my weight.

“I was just becoming lazy and I was not trying because I thought it would come easy for me.”

Franklin – who is the cousin of leading Queensland apprentice Bailey Wheeler - says he was not mentally prepared for the business of racing in Sydney, as well.

The son of a jockey was born in Grafton and got going with trainer Matt Dunn at Murwillumbah, before transferring to Brett Dodson at Coffs Harbour and then on to Mark Newham in the city.

He won Racing NSW’s 2022-23 Rising Star Series for apprentices.

Newham relocating from Sydney to Hong Kong did not help Franklin’s momentum as a rider.

After taking four months off to concentrate on his weight and his outlook, the young hoop is ready to tackle his new Queensland adventure.

Franklin’s weight ballooned to 70kgs at times during his spell.

He concedes there were moments that he did not think he would ever ride again.

But, after speaking to his father Craig, a New Zealand-born hoop who only retired from the game a couple of years ago, Franklin recognised that he would regret giving up so early in his career if he was to throw it all in.

“It changed my mindset completely and I honestly think I am keener now than what I was before I started race riding,” he said.

“I am a lot happier and I want to do it.

“I am getting to work early so I can ride track work for other trainers, that was not my attitude when I was in Sydney.

“There is an opportunity for an apprentice to come up here to the Gold Coast and slot in after Bailey has gone to the metro area in Brisbane.

“My weight is better now than what it was in Sydney and I have only been here a month honestly trying to lose weight.”

Franklin had 10 rides to his name in the Sunshine State - for one winner - earlier in his career before moving up.

He considered taking a job in Brisbane but is keen to ride on the provincials and utilise his three-kilogram claim with all of his claim on the country scene already gone.

Franklin has two rides across the weekend on his first experience as a Queensland resident.

He partners Zoomurudi for Jason Patton on Saturday before heading to Caloundra for the job on Lost In Transit for premier Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick on Sunday.

Franklin is hopeful he can get his weight as low as 56kgs in around a month.

Trainer Robl has been a big help for Franklin in the short time he has been with the stable.

“He is hard but he is fair, there is no mucking around and you are there to work,” Franklin said of Robl. 

“I was lazy in Sydney and I came up here fresh and I told Peter that I wanted to try and work hard.

“Since I have been here he has been great and supported me. He has been a really good boss, he is just what I needed.”