Cowboy-turned-jockey Braith Nock has enjoyed a terrific start to his riding career, with the 21-year-old booting home 17 winners since taking his first ride for his boss when jumping aboard the Brett Cavanough-trained Just Strolling at Inverell on New Year’s Day.
He won that day, and since then, he’s not missed a beat, bringing up winners for Paul Messara, Brett Dodson, Michael Mulholland, Connie Greig, and 12 more for Cavanough, with the youngster given every opportunity to showcase his talents to the world.
Still, a win for his mother and Bendemeer-based trainer Jane Clement has eluded him.
The pair have had their chances, but what lies ahead of them at Tamworth on Friday, with three-kilogram claimer Nock jumping aboard four of his mother’s gallopers, is their best to date.
He’ll ride House Wins (gate 2, $8) in the 2100m Benchmark 66, Another Gift (gate 3, $16) in the 1200m Maiden, Jade (Gate 4, $31) in the 1200m Benchmark 58, and Hardyo (gate 13, $41) in the 1400m Benchmark 58.
Clement said it would be a special moment when the two combined for their first victory, but she didn’t want to burden her son with any added pressure.
“There’s no pressure on him, and it will happen when it happens,” Clement said.
“I think Braith would love it more, but I say to him, ‘there’s no pressure’, but he gets a bit dirty on himself because he is such a perfectionist.”
House Wins looms as the pair’s best chance, and Another Gift has been knocking on the door of a maiden victory, and Clement agreed that both were live chances.
“I think they’ll both run big races,” Clement said.
“I can’t pick one; I don’t really like picking one out above the others, but they can all run well.”
With Clement, a well-respected trainer, Nock has racing in his blood, while his father, Greg Nock, was a popular jockey.
Still, the youngster was first drawn to bull riding and was considered one of the country’s best up-and-coming talents before he turned his attention to racing.
Soon he was indentured to Cavanough, a family friend, and Clement explained that her son had quickly adapted to the new sport.
“He’s been like that with everything he’s done; it’s a real credit to him and Brett Cavanough,” Clement said.
“He didn’t really have a racing brain, and even though he’s grown up with me and was interested (in racing), he never really took it on board.
“It’s a bit different now, and he’s learning and getting better all the time, just like when he was rodeoing; he would watch videos and everyone, and now he is like that with his racing.”
Nock doesn’t gravitate towards media attention, and Clement explained that he wasn’t one to show off his achievements.
“He’s very quiet, and he’s always been like that; he’s not a big noter, and he does his work, and that’s about it,” Clement said.
“Even when he was rodeoing, he’d win three events, and I couldn’t always be there, and I’d ring him up and ask him how he went, and he’d go, ‘yeah, all right’, and I would have to get it out of him.”
Whether he likes it or not, punters and racing fans have shown a liking for Nock, and they will undoubtedly follow him at Tamworth tomorrow.
On top of his four rides for his mum, Nock will also ride three for Cavanough, including Dozen Kilpatrick (gate 1, $11) in the 1000m Maiden, The Hanger Cat (Gate 7, $4) in the 1200m Benchmark 58, and Yirrkala (gate 7, $8) in the 1000m Class Two.
It could be a massive few days of racing for Clement and her team, with the stable venturing to Gulgong on Sunday.
Clement has Red Beryl (gate 8, Kelsey Lenton) and Amazingly (gate 5, Wendy Peel) contesting the Gulgong Gold Cup (1200m), Adviser (gate 14, Kelsey Lenton) in the 1000m Benchmark 50m, and Dream Lad (gate 12, Kelsey Lenton) in the 1800m Benchmark 58.
For Tamworth fields, click here.
For Tamworth markets, click here.
For Gulgong fields, click here.
