Apprentice jockeys bowled over by training change-up

By Andrew Smith

Queensland’s apprentice jockeys are used to having a whip and a horse’s reins in their hands, but this week they were swapping those over for something a little different - a cricket bat and ball.

Twelve of the state’s rising stars of the riding ranks were put through their paces during a session at the National Cricket Centre at Albion.

The young hoops were given a tour of the facilities on site, as well as listening to advice from a nutritionist, and strength and conditioning coach.

The day also included a game of dodgeball, time in the indoor cricket nets, a gym session and a dip in the hot and cold plunge pools.

Racing Queensland Senior Apprentice Coach Shane Scriven said the day was designed to give the apprentice jockeys valuable insight into a different high-performance professional environment.

“We had a meeting with Queensland Cricket about bringing a group of the apprentices here to look at their facilities, and just to see how another sport adapts to their professionalism really,” Scriven said.

“It was trying to work out the correlation here - there’s really nothing like being a professional jockey, however it’s all hard work and fitness.

“It’s probably the diet which is what I want to try and tap into and obviously where these cricketers don’t really have to watch weight even though they have to be performance-based.

“It’s something the jockeys don’t have on tap anyway, we do send them out into the big hard world without trying to find themselves.

“From speaking to them, they’ve had a really good day today and really enjoyed it…it was about having fun as well as learning something today, and I think we accomplished that.”

The diets of jockeys and cricketers are obviously quite different, especially with hoops often required to drastically cut weight to compete.

But apprentice Cody Collis admitted the day had provided him with a different insight into various nutritional and recovery techniques.

“It was very fascinating and really good for an apprentice school to actually go away from racing for the day and come check out this and get a feel for what other industries do,” Collis said.

“It’s been great to check out all their training and recovery and everything they do to prepare and get ready for a day and how we can kind of incorporate that into our industry, and how us jockeys can use that and get ready for race meetings and obviously recovery as well.

“Probably the nutritionist teaching us about muscle mass and what we can kind of do to keep our weight down and what’ll be easier to get through the consecutive days of riding.

“As well as that, just keeping your body fueled but without putting too much weight on at the same time and making it easier to cut weight as well.”

The 21-year-old is apprenticed to Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick, and is enjoying a bumper year in the saddle with 25 wins and 69 placings so far this season.

Relocating to Caloundra from regional Queensland early last year, Collis currently sits third in the race for the 2024/25 Brisbane Apprenticeship Premiership.

He is determined to challenge front runner Emily Lang (32 wins) for this year’s crown.

“I had a few winners there to start the season off and just been mainly focusing on keeping rides at provincials and keeping it without my provincial claim,” Collis said.

“Obviously my goal for this season would have to be the Metropolitan Apprenticeship title, so just trying to keep consistent and keep those rides and try to ride winners every week.”

Fellow apprentice Fiona Sandkuhl was also relishing the change up to her normal training regime.

The 24-year-old has suffered several injuries previously but reveled in the learnings from the day.

“It was interesting to know when we got into the gym the different exercises we can do without building too much muscle and putting on too much weight,” Sandkuhl said.

“A little bit more mobility and using your body for strength, so I think I’ll definitely incorporate that a little bit more into my routine.

“For me personally I don’t really go swimming - I know a lot of the other apprentices probably do but for me that’s normally not something I incorporate into my routine but probably will now.”

Sandkuhl made the move from Albury, NSW to the stables of Matt Hoysted at Eagle Farm in the middle of 2024.

Originally on a three-month loan, that stint has extended into 2025, with the rising star posting nine wins so far this season.

“I left Albury when it was minus three, and it’s nice coming up here for a bit of warmth especially coming back from injury,” Sandkuhl said.

“Also having to lower my riding weight has been a lot easier obviously with the heat and humidity I can sweat a lot easier but it’s a nice change of lifestyle.

“I’ve really enjoyed working for Matt Hoysted who’s a great boss and it’s just been great.”

While they both push towards graduating into the senior riding ranks, both Collis and Sandkuhl are in agreement that they won’t be switching to becoming professional cricketers any time soon.

“If there’s any video evidence of me trying to hit it I probably only hit once or twice out of the twenty bowled so I would say no,” Sandkuhl said with a laugh.

“Tahlia (Fenlon) was pretty good at hitting it back so I thought she was quite good but I couldn’t say there was someone that was the worst at all, I think we were all a little bit terrible.”

Collis added: “I wasn’t too good at bowling or much better at batting but there was definitely a few of the boys and a couple of the girls that did really well.

“I reckon Corey Sutherland’s one of the fastest or best bowlers here today but it was really fun.”