ONE HUNDRED wins in a season – it’s a massive feat for any jockey and for Rachael Murray it means a little bit more than just a phenomenal personal achievement.
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The 27-year-old ticked over to triple figures on Tuesday at Tamworth aboard Petrossian in the Winter Dash to become the first female jockey ever to ride 100 NSW winners.
She described the win as “absolutely amazing” but more important than self-satisfaction was what it meant for females in the racing industry.
“It’s such a great thing for women, in apprentice schools there’s all girls, there’s only a few boys and it is the way racing is going. So it’s good to be able to achieve this feat, to show it can be done,” Murray said.
Murray is also well aware, and thankful, of other prominent female jockeys who continue to blaze a trail in the racing world.
Jockeys such as Linda Meech – who has cracked a century of wins in a season five times – and Michelle Payne – who’s unforgettable win in the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance has gone down in history – are just a couple jockeys Murray looks up to.
“Thank goodness for Michelle [Payne] to do that amazing Melbourne Cup and Kathy [O’Hara] to win her Group Ones and Katelyn Mallyon, as well with her Group One,” Murray said.
“I know it’s only a NSW Country thing but still, it’s little by little, [it’s] stepping stones for women in racing.”
The feat is massive but Murray believes her riding plays just a small part.
The humble hoop thought most of the praise should be given for others.
She is thankful of the owners and trainers who have stuck by her side but she reserves the most praise for her manager Clinton Childs.
“I have to give all the credit to my manager, he's the one that does all the hard yards behind the scenes,” Murray said.
“He makes the decisions, he always chooses the right one. I just gave him the reins and had faith in him and he’s been able to do this for me.”
Shannon Perry from Paul Perry Racing – who trains Petrossian – has seen Murray go from an apprentice to a record-breaking jockey and couldn’t be happier for the hoop.
“It’s terrific,” Perry said.
“When she was an apprentice – not so much a four-kilo apprentice but a three-kilo claiming apprentice, a two-kilo claiming apprentice, a one and a half-kilo claiming apprentice – she rode a lot of winners for us – got beat on a lot as well, but rode a lot of winners, too.
“To be a senior jockey now and still riding winners for our stable and reaching the heights she’s reaching, in what used to be a male dominated sport well, she probably had to travel a long way in kilometres to get the 100 but there’s not a lot of females in Australia who’ve done it.”
Perry can only see Murray getting better from here.
“I’m sure she’ll be her own worst critic and want to ride 200 winners [next season] and it’s not impossible, she could definitely reach 150 next season,’ Perry said.
“She’s young, fit and has a talent – she can ride a horse – and she gets along with people as well, it’s all at her feet now.”
With 100 winners in the bag, Murray said she’s going to “enjoy the ride and see how it goes”.
“At the start of the season, I put down 70 winners, that was my goal. That soon got crossed out and went to 100 – for it to actually happen is amazing,” she said.
“My aim is to continue to ride well, get the winners and keep doing it for a few seasons.
“I don’t want it to be a one off thing and never be heard of again – I want to prove it and make a mark.”
