Rob has a burning desire to succeed in the saddle

By Jordan Gerrans

If emerging apprentice Rob Thorburn can claim the provincial riding title at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, he would have earned himself an opportunity to sit back and reflect on just how far he has come as a person.

Approaching the end of the calendar year of 2024, Thorburn is in a close battle with impressive Gold Coast apprentice Jace McMurray at the top of the premiership ladder.

At 25 years of age, Thorburn is a fit, happy and healthy young man chasing his passion as a jockey living and working in Brisbane.

When the NSW product was a baby, he was anything but fit, happy and healthy.

Thorburn suffers from Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency and for the first couple of years of his life, doctors couldn’t figure out what was making him sick.

In his own words, the talented hoop admits he is lucky to be alive after countless hospital visits as a young person.

“I had tubes all down my throat, so many needles in and out of my arms,” the jockey said.

“I did not stop all the hospital visits until I was about five years old. For the first 18 months of my life, doctors couldn’t really pinpoint what was wrong with me.

“I didn’t really get the diagnosis until later on in life – at around 18 months. I wasn’t getting any nutrition as a baby or keeping anything down, it was going straight through me and I was just not a healthy baby.

“I would have tubes all down my mouth and nose to keep me alive. It would have been such a traumatic experience as a child to live through.”

CSID is a rare genetic disorder that prevents people from digesting certain sugars and starches.

While it almost cost Thorburn his life as a baby on several occasions, as a person who wants to make it as a city-level hoop – CSID is actually helping with keeping his weight low so he can chase lightweight rides.

At Clifford Park last month, Thorburn had his riding weight listed at 52kg.

“Essentially it is a sugar intolerance and sugar allergy,” the young hoop said.

“It is partially why I can be so light right now for my height as a jockey. I do still have quite a bad intolerance to sugar. It is a blessing and a curse.”

In his first full season as a jockey, Thorburn rode at a nine per cent winning strike-rate for 25 victories. 

He has upped that to almost 14 per cent this campaign with 24 winners already beside his name. 

“He started fairly slowly in the country area, it took him a while to get rolling,” Racing Queensland Industry Educator Jeff McKay said of Thorburn’s development.

“But, about six months ago he really started to kick on. Since he got his provincial licence four or five months ago, he has had natural improvement.

“He is a very dedicated young fella, as well, which has helped a hell of a lot. He has been a revelation.”

The apprentice’s change in fortunes on race day have coincided with his switch to now working under respected veteran conditioner Lawrie Mayfield-Smith.

Thorburn notes multiple Group-winning mentor Mayfield-Smith has taught him plenty about discipline while also being a hard task master at times.

Racing Queensland’s Senior Apprentice Coach Shane Scriven describes Thorburn as a ‘dedicated’ young man.

“He is always trying to strive and improve,” Scriven said.

“Because he is getting on better horses now, he has improved out of sight.”

As he climbs the ladder in the Queensland riding ranks, Thorburn makes sure he appreciates every day.

“I look back on it now and I am quite grateful for my opportunity at life as I obviously had a very hard start to life,” he said.

“I enjoy every moment of my life and have an appreciation for what I have.

“Especially in the last six months, I have had a lot of personal development in my own life and have been looking back on it all – I have realized how far I have come as a person and as a jockey.

“Every wrong turn or mistake that has happened in my life has led me to this point and has made me a better person, in the sense that I have had to mature and grow up.

“The ups and downs in my life help me to handle the highs and lows of racing as you experience plenty of good and bad times as a jockey.”

Teenager McMurray has edged ahead of Thorburn in the apprentice title on the provincial circuit in recent days but there is plenty of time ahead in the campaign.

The apprentice duo are about ten winners behind Justin Stanley for the overall premiership.

Thorburn has listed winning the premiership as one of his goals for the rest of the term.

Originally from NSW, Thorburn moved north chasing his dream as a jockey.

But, it was not his first love when it comes to a day job.

He initially shot for the stars and wanted to be an astronaut that worked for the world-famous NASA.

He completed around five years of study at the University of Newcastle, working towards a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering degree.

The young jockey says he lost a passion for the pursuit while he was studying, noting he struggled to get out of bed most mornings.

Now rising well before the sun most mornings to ride trackwork, Thorburn has found where he wants to be spending his time.

“He has had a different life to what racing is because sometimes racing can be all consuming for these kids,” McKay said.

“It can be good for them to have a hobby or a different job outside of racing. He is obviously intelligent with his university studies and that has helped him, as well, dealing with owners and trainers.

“And, also the stress of being a jockey as he had other areas to work on his life.”