Camille Houlgatte will celebrate her 29th birthday doing what she loves when taking a book of six rides at Taree on Tuesday.
The Frenchwoman, who’s indentured to Paul Perry, said there’s nothing else she’d rather do to celebrate the milestone while a win would be the ‘cherry on the cake’.
“I am literally living my best life, as corny as it may sound,” Houlgatte laughed.
“Humans have needs like sleep and that, and if not, I’d be on the road and riding all the time; I just love it.”
The Newcastle-based hoop has just notched ten years with the Perry team since arriving in Australia as a 19-year-old.
Houlgatte only started race riding in late 2021, while she brought up her first win aboard the Perry-trained Captain Wise at Scone in July of last year.
Houlgatte is now 13 wins into her career and is certainly happy to run her own race.
“Being a jockey is awesome, and everything I dreamed of and much more,” Houlgatte said.
“I try not to have expectations because living with expectations will only lead to disappointment and unhappiness.
“I am happy to live in the moment, and I’m happy with what I get, and I’ll keep riding and see where that takes me.”
The apprentice has been through the highs and lows of racing, with injuries keeping her away from the track at times, and only recently, she had a fall at Taree that ended up costing her a double at Tamworth.
Riding the Tom Higgins-trained Welcome Back on July 6, she came off after the winning post and could not fulfil her commitments at Tamworth the following day.
This meant that fellow apprentice Kelsey Lenton rode both of Houlgatte’s regular mounts, Indian Thunder and Sure Strategy, to victory.
“I had that fall at Taree, and I wanted to keep going, but the stewards stood me down, and I needed to get a medical certificate to ride, but the quickest I could have got it was the next morning, and there wasn’t enough time to get cleared then get to Tamworth,” Houlgatte said.
“It was frustrating, especially because I love those horses, and I ride them all the time, and not to be able to ride them when they won was tough.
“Still, I was just happy they won and happy for the trainers and Kelsey; It’s great for her, and she lost a one-kilogram claim with those wins.”
Despite missing the chance at Tamworth, Houlgatte was back aboard Indian Thunder at Inverell on Saturday, winning the 1400m Benchmark 50 Handicap.
“He loves Inverell, and he’s just an all-around beautiful animal,” Houlgatte said.
“He knows exactly what he has to do and gives 110% every time he goes out there, and it was so nice to win on him again.”
Houlgatte is back at Taree on Tuesday and will take up to six rides on the card.
She has four rides for Higgins, and funnily enough, she is on Welcome Back in the 1007m Maiden Handicap, along with Discreet Lady in the 1412m Class Two Handicap, Star Of Yamba in the 1262 Class Three Handicap, and Blinkin Snazzy in the 1614 Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Houlgatte also rides for Annette Lee, jumping aboard Declutter in the 1262m Maiden Plate and Secret Lago in the 1007m Maiden Handicap.
“I would say there are two good chances,” Houlgatte said.
“Star of Yamba; I won on her the last time I rode her, and I was meant to ride her the other day, but I had that fall, so I’m looking forward to riding her again.
“Then there is Discreet Lady; I haven’t been able to ride her for a while, but last time I did, she ran a beautiful second at Port Macquarie.”
While Houlgatte will celebrate her birthday at Taree tomorrow, it will be a very good seven-race card on the track.
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