Lachlan Scorse continued his family’s proud racing tradition at Muswellbrook on Monday when bringing up his maiden victory.
Riding for his boss and Newcastle trainer David Atkins, the 19-year-old was cool as a cucumber when guiding Rockbarton Roman ($5.50) to the front of the field from gate five in the 1450m Class Three Handicap.
Despite some pressure on the turn, the pair led the rest of the way for a comfortable victory.
Scorse appears to have a good head on his shoulders, and he was quick to thank everyone that’s made his journey to the races possible.
“It’s a great feeling; I’m very, very happy,” Scorse replied when asked how he felt after the win.
“I’ve got to thank a lot of people, there have been a lot of people who have helped me get to this situation, and I’ll make sure to do that in a time soon.”
It was a good effort by the youngster, who was only having his fourth race ride, and it appeared that his mount enjoyed the four-kilogram claim.
“It was good, we got to the front easy enough, and he was able to settle underneath me, which I was really happy with,” Scorse said.
“I asked him for a bit, and he gave it, and he dug down deep, and the blinkers would have helped with that, and he ran really well.”
Scorse was born and bred to be a jockey with his father, Mathew Scorse, a successful hoop that rode nearly 300 winners across the state, while his mother, Lara Scorse, was a respected foreperson and is now involved with the Newcastle Jockey Club.
His late grandfather, the great Alan Scorse, was a Group 1 winning jockey that registered over 1400 victories and a successful trainer to boot, and before his passing in 2021, he linked Lachlan with the Luke Morgan yard for three months.
Then, with the help of his father, Mathew, the youngster spent another four months with Peter Snowden before discovering an opportunity with Atkins.
Scorse debuted at Tuncurry on Saturday, finishing second at his first ride, coincidently on the Atkins-trained Rockbarton Racer.
“I’ve been riding work for about two years, and I had my first race ride last Saturday, so this was the fourth one, and it’s a good way to start,” Scorse said.
“I’ve been very lucky, and David has been giving me a lot of support and teaching me a lot through the way, so it’s a really good feeling.”
The sky appears to be the limit for Scorse, and punters will undoubtedly have him locked away in the blackbook.
For Muswellbrook results, click here.
