Beau-Dene Appo 'hungry' for winners after extended break from race riding

By Jordan Gerrans

A little nudge and quiet word from Queensland’s leading hoop has the returning Beau-Dene Appo as hungry as ever to chase winners in the saddle.

The 30-year-old Appo was on the sidelines from race riding for the vast majority of 2023 before making a comeback in the final weeks of the year.

With 30 city winners on his resume as well as a premiership up at Clifford Park, Appo admits he lost some of the ‘edge’ to race ride in the back end of 2022 before stepping away for around 13 months.

It was close mate and the premier rider in Queensland – James Orman – who pushed the lightweight pilot to get back to the track on race day.

Appo drove Orman up to the Darling Downs in the middle of last year when he was chasing the national jockeys' premiership for the 2022-23 season.

Top rider Orman told his mate that he was ‘crazy’ to not be actively riding considering that he is a natural lightweight jockey, whereas Orman battles every day to keep his weight down.

“That day being back at the races, I thought about it and was keen to get back into it and get going,” Appo said.

While Appo was not race riding, he continued to ride track work on a consistent basis in the city for Eagle Farm horseman Kelly Schweida.

He took his first rides back at Callaghan Park in Central Queensland just before Christmas last year and had another engagement at Ipswich on Saturday afternoon.

The Indigenous hoop heads back to Rockhampton on Tuesday afternoon with a strong book of five rides.

All five are for local trainer Zoe Hohn.

“I lost the edge a little bit for riding in races when I was riding full-time work,” Appo said.

“I did not even realise it had been 13 months since my last race ride when I did have my first one back, I thought I rode in July of last year (laughs).

“I am enjoying it immensely now because I know all the hard work that people put in behind the scenes that lead to race riding. I am very grateful that I am back riding.”

Appo has enjoyed his greatest successes as a hoop at Clifford Park in Toowoomba as well as on the northern circuit through the Sunshine State.

That is where he is keen to return to establish himself in the coming months.

Of his 275 career winners, 77 of those have come at Toowoomba.

He claimed the premiership on the Darling Downs in his first year out of his time as an apprentice back in the 2016-17 campaign.

Appo’s weight has remained steady over the last year, which has helped him hit the ground running.

“I am hungry more than ever now and hopefully I can get back my connections that I had before,” he said.

“Once I am back and fully fit, I am keen to target Toowoomba as well as the northern circuit like Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.

“My weight is good – I am walking around at 52kgs – my weight is better than ever at the minute.

“The weight will continue to come off once I race ride more often.

“I do not see why I can't get back into the swing of things with my weight the way it is.”

Appo’s last winner came back in July of 2022 at Esk.

He has five bookings for the Hohn stable on Tuesday across the six event program.

Hohn has been a loyal supporter of Appo’s in his return and he is keen to reward her for it.

He identified Roy’s Road in the Maiden Handicap and Kamarcher in the QTIS Benchmark 60 Handicap as his best two winning hopes across the meeting.

“Roy’s Road went well over a mile last start, he ran a huge race, but is back to 1300 metres this week,” the jockey said.

“It might be a little bit too short for her but if the pace is there, she will be hitting the line well.

“Kamarcher is another one I really like, he ran a huge race the other day as well.

“I just got caught wide on Kamarcher and he still had the audacity to hit the line well late.

“I am hoping Kamarcher is my first winner back because Zoe has been a big supporter of mine and it would be good to reward the stable.”