Strawbridge scores first treble at Oamaru
It’s been a challenging season for apprentice jockey Ashlee Strawbridge, but her hard work and perseverance was rewarded at Oamaru on Sunday when riding a winning treble.
The 20-year-old hoop was confident of a bold showing from the Samantha Wynne-trained Shawshank (NZ) (El Roca), and he delivered when winning the Brent Stuart & Logan Edwards (1400m), before she partnered the Robert Dennis-trained pair of Magnastar (NZ) (Grecia) and Sir Sterling (NZ) (Iffraaj) to win the Dave Allan Memorial (1200m) and Glenmoa Farms LTD River Plate Trophy (1200m) respectively.
Strawbridge was duly elated to record the first treble of her career.
“It was awesome, it has been a long time coming, so it was really cool to get it,” she said.
“I thought I had some nice rides, and I thought most of them were good chances. I really liked Shawshank after his last run, I thought he could go well again and he proved he could.
“I have stuck with Magnastar for a few runs now and Robert has been good and left me on. He has been super consistent and has been going good races, and we found the perfect race yesterday on a track he liked, and it all fell into place.
“Sir Stirling ran a huge race last start and dropping back to 1200m was the only query, but he proved to be way too tough.”
Strawbridge has spent a significant part of the season on the sideline dealing with of a head injury she sustained in a race fall last year, but her focus on her mental health has put her in good stead in her return.
“It has been a pretty touchy season, I haven’t spent a lot of time out riding but getting back and building my confidence has been good, and I am kicking home a lot of goals,” she said.
“After my fall I had a pretty bad concussion and came back riding a bit too soon. I had to take a step away and go back to the trials and go to a sports psychologist and just get my head back in the right place and slowly build back into raceday riding and get my confidence back up again.
“Everyone has been super helpful. My boss, Debbie (Sweeney), has been amazing to me and has supported me through the whole thing, it has been really good.
“Days like yesterday really help and it makes it feel like it is all worth it.”
While Sunday’s treble was a clear season highlight, Strawbridge said a win at Ellerslie in May was a sentimental favourite.
“I won on a horse called Bonnie Gem at Ellerslie a little while back that is owned by my Mum and Debbie, so that was quite special,” she said.
Strawbridge is looking forward to the new season and she is excited about the prospects of several of her employer’s young horses, particularly Group Two winner Tellum (NZ) (Ocean Park), who she is hoping she gets the opportunity to ride.
“Debbie has got a couple of nice young ones coming up that are quite exciting,” Strawbridge said. “We have got Tellum, a Group Two winner, that should be quite exciting and hopefully I can have a ride on her.”
With less than a fortnight left to go in the season, Strawbridge is hoping she can add a few more wins to her tally, with her next opportunity coming at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday where she is upbeat about the prospects of the Bob and Jenny Vance-trained Perfect Dividends (Overshare).
“I really like Perfect Dividends of the Vances,” Strawbridge said. “He is a very nice big horse and I think he should be every chance.”
