PORT Macquarie’s Cassie Schmidt has made history by becoming the first female hoop to take out the Northern Rivers apprentice and jockey’s premiership.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On top of the achievement was winning the NSW country apprentice premiership.
Schmidt has set the racing scene alight by managing the impressive feat in just her first full season of riding.
She smashed her nearest rival by an amazing seven wins.
To add to her dream run, Schmidt won her first metropolitan race on Euphonic, for trainer Terry McCarthy in Brisbane recently.
The Port Macquarie product rode 70 winners for the year which runs from August 1 to July 31.
Of those wins, 55 were country, 14 provincial and the one metro scalp.
As a result of her success she has lost her county claim. Schmidt was ecstatic at hearing the news, but said there was little time to celebrate.
“It’s a great achievement especially being the first female jockey to do it,” she said.
“I’ve just been so busy lately, I haven’t really had time to celebrate.
“And I’ve got a few big full days of riding ahead of me so it won’t be any time soon.”
Schmidt moved to Brisbane earlier this year where she lives with sister Priscilla – another hoop.
For her troubles she came out of it with a fractured vertebrae and ligament damage to a knee.
She is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks.
For Cassie at least, she is looking forward to returning to Port Macquarie for its biggest race day on the calendar in October, The Port Macquarie Cup.
“I can’t wait, I’m definitely looking forward to coming home for that,” she said.
In other horse racing news, Port Macquarie mare Danesiri is striving to emulate another of her breed tomorrow when the Taree Cup Prelude is run.
The five-year-old mare trained by Wayne Wilkes would cement a start in the August 18 Taree Cup if she wins the prelude.
