Inset: Mitch Stapleford is interviewed post-race.
Images – Muswellbrook Race Club.
A good crowd of family, friends, and supporters were on hand for Mitch Stapleford’s debut rides at Muswellbrook on Friday, and nobody left the Hunter Valley racecourse disappointed.
The 21-year-old took his first ride for his boss, Scott Singleton, guiding What A Peach ($4.60) to a good second in the 1280m Benchmark 66 Handicap.
After the excellent start to his day, he had to wait until the final race on the program, but he again teamed up with Singleton, riding I’m Not Slew ($4.40).
Jumping from gate ten, Stapleford went straight to the front on the five-year-old and led all the way in the 1100m Benchmark 58 Handicap, with the crowd roaring in delight as the youngster notched up his first winner.
“It was great; a lot of my family and friends came down for the day,” Stapleford told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
The Central Coast product was understandably very nervous heading to the races.
Still, he was mentored by Singleton and supported by fellow jockeys on what turned out to be a memorable day at the office.
“I was obviously very nervous on the day, but Scott was great, and at trackwork, we spoke about how we wanted to ride the horses and where we thought we might be in the races, and that was a good way to calm the nerves,” Stapleford said.
“After that, the rest had to be intuition, but I got out there, and I was really happy that What A Peach ran second, and while I wanted to win, the ride calmed the nerves.
“There was a bit of a wait between race five and nine, and all the boys in the jockey’s room were helpful; they could tell I was nervous, but they made me feel welcome, and by the time I got on I’m Not Slew, I was a lot calmer and clearer in my thoughts compared to my first ride.”
It was an excellent front-running ride, and Stapleford explained that the moment got the better of him once he returned to scale.
“It felt a lot closer than a length; it felt like the horse on my inside was breathing down my neck, so I was desperate to find the line,” Stapleford said.
“Crossing the line was a terrific feeling; I was not thinking too much, but I was just so happy for the horse; she’s a lovely little mare, and she tried her hardest for me.
“Coming back to the winner’s stall, I had imagined what it would feel like and that I would be pumped, but I was quite emotional.
“A lot of my family and friends were there, and when I saw Scott as I was coming in, I got quite overwhelmed, and it’s not the way I thought I would feel, but it meant so much to me.”
Being the grandson of retired trainer Albert Stapleford, many racing pundits would presume Mitch was destined to be a jockey or trainer, but that isn’t the case.
He held other career ambitions and was late to riding before being eased into the sport after discussing his options with champion jockey Josh Parr.
“Pop was a trainer, and he only recently retired at the age of 93, and my mum and dad worked at the stables for Pop,” Stapleford said.
“Because I was forced to be at the stables, I never really wanted to do anything in racing, and it wasn’t until I left school and I was 18 and a half, and I was about to go to the police academy and couldn’t put weight on.
“People my whole life said I should give riding a go, and we are good family friends with Josh Parr, so I spoke to Josh, and he was extremely helpful.
“He got me in touch with a dietician, and I had a session with her, and she was terrific, and my pop bought me my first pony when I was 19, and my uncle took me down in the sand roll and taught me how to ride in a stock saddle, and after three months, I was riding a bit of track work.
“It was a nice and relaxed way to get involved, and it has been a really good journey.”
Stapleford was given every chance possible, spending 15 months with Mark Newnham before linking with the Singleton team in May.
“I basically went to Mark not knowing how to sit on a horse, and he slowly built me up and instilled in me a good work ethic,” Stapleford said.
“I got to work alongside Tom Sherry and Tyler Schiller, and it was a great experience to see how they operate and just how hard they work.
“They are two very different riders, but they share that same work ethic, drive, and that want to be the best, and I was able to watch the way Mark dealt with them, and later with me, and how he gives his riders every opportunity to be successful and to be on the right path.”
With Newnham off to Hong Kong, Stapleford had to move, but he’s loving life with the Scone yard.
“Obviously, Mark has a few more horses than what Scott does, and it was good to work alongside good horseman at Randwick, but Mark gave me the foundation that I needed to go to Scott’s,” Stapleford said.
“The move has been terrific, and Scott, Rachel, and I are the main riders, and he’s a terrific horseman, and he’s taught me a lot about being patient with horses.”
In the future, Stapleford isn’t setting any big goals, and he merely wants to be a better rider every time he is legged aboard a horse.
“One thing Mark always said to the boys was that as your claim drops, you have to minimise the mistakes,” Stapleford said.
“So, for me, it’s just about trying to improve after every race ride, thinking as analytically as I can about rides, and surrounding myself with people that have my best interests in mind.
“Sometimes you need people to tell you the hard truths, and nobody wants to hear them when you mess up, but it’s the best way to improve as a horseman and jockey.
“So, day by day, I’ll keep showing up, and I hope to get the support of trainers and owners and do the best I can.”
