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Opportunities to be a jockey can be few and far between, and for Cobi Vitler, who grew up in East Sussex, England, the decision to move to Australia some four and a half years ago has helped him live out a dream.
As a fresh-faced teenager, the now 23-year-old explained that a ‘chance opportunity’ to come to Australia for a trackwork job was too hard to pass up.
“I was 18, and my mate said he had a ticket for me to come over, so I jumped on a plane and came straight over,” Vitler said.
“I was down with John Sergeant for six months at Randwick and then moved on to John Ramsey in Scone for a year, but my visa ran out, so Brett Cavanough took me on, and I’ve been with him ever since.”
Vitler is now ‘pushing three years’ with the Cavanough team, and he explained how he went from being content as a trackwork rider to being indentured to one of the most astute Masters in country racing.
“The goal was just to ride trackwork,” Vitler said.
“I had aspirations of getting my licence in England, but it’s a lot harder and the selection process a lot tougher, so I kind of gave up on it for a while.
“After coming to Australia and riding for John, he mentioned it could be an option and told me to think about it, and that’s what got the ball rolling.”
Like many apprentices, the impacts of the COVID pandemic slowed down the process, and for Vitler, it impacted his visa, meaning he had to grit his teeth throughout the extended process.
“It was a bit of a road because when I originally moved to Brett’s to start the ball rolling, COVID hit, and that was a setback because it stopped most of the sponsorship, and to make matters worse, I was on the last year of my working holiday visa,” Vitler said.
“I needed to sort something out and kept looking for an agent that would help sponsor me, and luckily, a company in Queensland helped, and I pushed through.
An injury kept Vitler on the sideline, further delaying his introduction to race riding.
“We had a minor setback; I lacerated my spleen, and I was off work for a while, and for a while there, it felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back,” Vitler said.
“When I returned to work, I was about 64kg, and for the first month back, I had to work on my weight and got it back to a comfortable range before I started at the trials.”
The time finally came, and Vitler was given the opportunity to debut at Tamworth on June 9, and riding for Cavanough, he finished second on Babayka in the 1000m Class Two Handicap.
He trekked to Scone the following week and rode for his boss, finishing second on Rising in the 1000m Open Handicap and third on Freewheeler in the 1000m Maiden Plate.
Finally, the day came and riding at Lismore on June 20, Vitler was in the winner’s circle, and riding for Cavanough, he booted home Milingimbi to victory in the 1310m Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap.
“At first, it didn’t really sink, but once I started to think about it, I got a bit emotional,” Vitler said.
“I had seven tries and all placings before that race, and to win was great, and it was just nice to finally get that win on the board and for the boss and owners.”
The young apprentice has been very consistent in the saddle, starting 19 times for two wins and 11 placings, with his second victory arriving at Dubbo on July 10 when winning on the Lyle Chandler-trained Daksha in the 1618m Class Two Handicap.
For Vitler, Cavanough has been his rock, and he thanked the Scone trainer for the support.
“When it came to riding in races and getting used to it, I wasn’t nervous, but more excited to say I was finally where I wanted to be after everything I had gone through,” Vitler said.
“I was proud to be there and thankful to Brett for grinding away with me and having my back.
“He’s a good boss, and he likes to hold on and doesn’t want you to be overwhelmed and gives you that patience, and it makes you so much more comfortable knowing you have him in your corner.
“Plus, my knowledge wasn’t incredible coming over here, but since coming to the country, I’ve been picking up a thing or two, and with Brett behind me, I’m in a good position going forward.”
In terms of Vitler’s future, he will be staying in Australia and wants to make his mark as a jockey.
“I never plan to leave Australia; my partner is Australian, and she has been a factor for me staying here,” Vitler said.
“We’re happy where we are, but she’s always wanted to move to Newcastle, where she grew up, and once I lose the claim, I dare say we will move back down to that area.”
The sky looks to be the limit for Vitler, who is in action again today when he rides the Luke Pepper-trained Zounique in the 1700m Benchmark 66 Handicap.
