Years ago Sophie Young joined the Tamworth training stables of Sue Grills knowing "very little about the racing industry".
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Her first and last rides as an apprentice were victories, as was her first ride as a fully-fledged jockey aboard Grills' Fashion Stage at Grafton last week.
In her very first ride, Young booted home Smoke Screen to win at Tamworth, then in her last ride as an apprentice, won on Pears at Scone, both for Grills.
Today she has four mounts for Grills at Moree Race Club's eight-race TAB meeting.
She'll combine with first starter As Yawood (950m Caretakers Maiden Handicap), Ledecky (1300m Treasurers Maiden Plate), Exotic Art (1200m Picone Bookmaking Brothers Gwydir Handicap) and Unique Shadow who will be resuming in the 950m Nufarm Class 3 Handicap. Grills' other starter Seektowin (1300m Moree Ag Supplies And Steel Class 1 Handicap) will be ridden by regular rider Allan Chau.
"She's a great little rider who has worked very hard to get where she has," Grills said of her stable jockey.
"When she first started, she was inexperienced and knew very little about the racing industry so had to basically start from scratch. But she's come on board and done very well.
"She's a hard little worker too."
The 25-year-old can already boast "around 165" wins to date. She won last year's HNWRA apprentices premiership, and considers her wins in the Inverell Cup on Jane Clement's Wolfgangs Boy and Grills' Monashee Woods as her "most memorable".
Of her five starters today, Grills considers Exotic Art as "probably our best chance", though tips the Peter Sinclair-trained topweight Free Billy (Darren Jones) on his home track. From his last eight starts, Free Billy has won five and placed twice.
"Seektowin is only second emergency so may not start and Unique Shadow is resuming but is a class one galloper racing in class three company," Grills said.
"She keeps getting balloted out so has to go in there to get a start."
Two-year-old As Yawood is having her first start but has been trialling well, according to her trainer.
"But there aren't any races to suit her so she has to take on older horses," she said.
Three-year-old Ledecky, who was a handy fifth over 1200m in a Gunnedah 3YO maiden on July 2, can boast four placings from eight starts back this campaign.
"She's been racing okay without winning, but the 11 barrier isn't going to help her too much."
PICONE BOOKMAKING HANDICAP BETTING: 3-1 Free Billy, 5-1 Grass Cutter, 6-1 Love And Lies, Arawak, Mapmaker, 8-1 Keepa Coming, 10-1 Iwilldoit, Exotic Art, 16-1 Kyogle Town, A Tissue A Tissue, 20-1 Floral One.