Toowoomba jockey grabs career-best victory in FNQ

By Jordan Gerrans

A relationship built on brutal honesty and deep friendship has delivered jockey Shannon Apthorpe the greatest victory of his riding career more than three decades into his tenure in the sport.

The 48-year-old lifted the Cairns Amateur Cup on Saturday afternoon in FNQ aboard striking grey galloper Sayl.

The relatively unknown Toowoomba-based jockey had ridden Sayl through the entire northern winter carnival, starting in Rockhampton in late June before following the Cup-bound gelding up the coast.

And, when Apthorpe did ride Sayl at Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns – it was usually his only ride of the entire program.

Sayl’s majority owner Gary Popp is an old friend of Apthorpe’s.

Sayl is prepared by leading provincial trainer Lindsay Hatch.

In the old days, Popp had his own team of gallopers with Apthorpe one of his regular riders before he eventually gave it away in 2015.

The veteran jockey recalls one of his first rides for Popp around two decades ago in the bush where in his own words, he put in an ordinary effort.

“I came straight back in after the race and apologised to Gary and told him the horse would win at his next start,” Apthorpe remembers from the conversation around 20 years ago.

“Gary always remembered that and respected that I was honest, we have kept a great relationship since.”

Popp and Apthorpe had not spoken in a number of years before a phone call out of the blue recently came the way of the experienced rider to offer him the job on Sayl through the rich northern Cup series.

Some followers of racing may have questioned why the Hatch stable continued to stick with Apthorpe when Sayl was not living up to his performances from the season before.

Apthorpe was overjoyed to be able to repay the faith Popp and Hatch have shown in him in recent months.

“We had a lot of luck over the years and I was always pretty straight with him and he appreciated that,” the jockey said of Popp.

“He is a loyal sort of fella and he offered me the ride on Sayl up north.

“It was an opportunity to good too turn down as I am not really known well as a jockey up that way and when I do go up there, I am lucky to get more than one ride.

“I could have stuck around Toowoomba and made more money around this area riding consistently but it has worked out in the end.”

Apthorpe was suspended for a period of time which coincided with the Cairns Cup in late August, with Nathan Thomas given the ride.

Sayl finished second on that occasion and put in his best effort of the 2023 season yet at that point. 

Popp’s loyalty was even more emphasized in the Cairns Amateur Cup when he handed Apthorpe back the ride after the eight-year-old ran so well for Thomas.

As well as Gary Popp, Ronald, Christine and Leesa Popp are also co-owners in the Cairns Amateur Cup winner.

Apthorpe branded Saturday’s victory as the greatest of his tenure in the saddle, which dates back to 1990, according to Racing.com’s statistics.

The Darling Downs jockey grew up in Gladstone before relocating to Newcastle in NSW to kick off his apprenticeship.

He eventually relocated back to Central Queensland and then on to Toowoomba, where he has remained for the last 23 years.  

As a hoop that does not have many opportunities in feature races, Apthorpe admits to being filled with stress, nerves and pressure on Saturday at Cannon Park.

The jockey was able to guide the Great Britain-bred gelding through the Cup field to score by half a length in the $150,000 feature.

“It was awesome, I have had a lot of people supporting me along the way to give me the confidence I needed,” Apthorpe said.

“I feel fortunate.”

Apthorpe’s previous career best win was aboard Miss Mega Herz who won a city race back in 2013 on a Saturday for Patrick Sexton.

After winning the Mackay Cup last year and finishing third in the Townsville Cup, many would have though Sayl would have gone close in northern Cup races much earlier in his campaign in 2023.

Prior to the Amateur Cup on Saturday, Hatch felt his grey was slightly behind in his preparation compared to last year.

“We gave him a long spell last year after his North Queensland campaign which was a mistake and he’s just coming right now,” Hatch said pre-race.

With options such as the Toowoomba and Queensland Cups coming up over the next month, Apthorpe thinks there is another feature race in the old grey this campaign.

“He has been one or two runs behind this prep and that can happen when they get older these horses,” he said.

“They can take a little longer to come back and he is an eight-year-old now.

“He was improving with every run and he gave me a couple of good feels in the race at Townsville.

“He gave me enough for me to want to come back and ride him, I knew there was enough there.

“He will be hard to beat in his next few starts going forward as well.”