LUKE DEMPSEY: STILL CLEARING HURDLES AS THE NEW CHAPTER IN HIS CAREER GATHERS REAL MOMENTUM

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, January 8, 2025

From riding in the famed Grand National at Aintree aboard the Joseph O’Brien trained Darasso in April 2023 to claiming his maiden Group win in Australia … it’s been quite a journey for jockey Luke Dempsey over the last twenty months.

The transition from jumps jockey to flat race riding brought many obvious challenges of its own, but throw in a change of country, with all the pressure of trying to establish a functional working presence in totally new surroundings while also trying to make new contacts virtually from scratch, and you have just added another significant layer of difficulty to the task which Dempsey had taken on.

But, as they say, hard work and a bit of good luck, pays off.

Since relocating (again) to Queensland after initially spending time in Victoria, both of those factors have kicked in nicely enough to get the ball rolling for Dempsey.

The good luck element arguably came in the fact that he was welcomed into the Barry Lockwood stable, a highly professional and vastly experienced outfit, but also soft and kind landing space for those who are there to help get the job done.

From there, Dempsey had to make his own luck though, and his endeavours in recent weeks as he builds momentum have certainly caught the eye.

His standout result so far was that Group 3 win aboard the Lockwood trained Give Me Space in the Vo Rogue … a stunning, scintillating last to first win (he had all of twelve lengths to make up at the halfway mark) after jumping from the widest draw of all (fourteen out of fourteen) at double figure odds

Give Me Space’s effort was fantastic to witness. Dempsey’s ride was outstanding … with the two talents of horse and rider complementing each other to maximum effect in a driving finish.

That is the way to attract attention, and the Vo Rogue result will go down as a landmark victory for Dempsey, but it is his willing work ethic around the Lockwood stable and his keenness to stretch a race riding schedule to his advantage which gives more of an indication as to why he is making such good progress in the Sunshine State.

Since December 4, Dempsey has ridden winners at Eagle Farm, Ipswich, Gatton, Kilcoy, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Warwick.

Not only is that range of success notable … and remember, this comes at a time when, in theory, Dempsey is still familiarising himself with the local tracks … but his winning strike over this period of time of thirty-five percent (twelve wins from thirty-four rides) certainly ticks a very big box.

And if you want any further recommendation … not that Dempsey’s apparently needs any … Barry Lockwood’s response after his first meeting with Dempsey was, “I hope he can ride because he is a really nice guy.”

“When I first came over it was going to be for two months … but I kept putting the return date back,” said Dempsey, taking up the story.

“I couldn’t really get on much of a roll in Victoria. I needed a change. I was going to go to Sydney, but then I decided to come to Queensland instead,”

“My partner knows Barry Lockwood’s apprentice, Shakira Bailey, so that’s how we ended up at Barry’s stable.

“Barry has just been great to me. He has given me a good go and, thankfully, I’ve been getting the results for him.

“To get a Group winner that early this early on in Queensland … well, I never imagined myself riding a Group winner like this, especially as I was always a jump jockey and that was where I was for so long, I wouldn’t even dream of doing something like that.”

As mentioned, Give Me Space’s win was something special, but just how did Dempsey feel when the horse unleashed like that from the back of the field.

“You can’t really enjoy it as much in the moment because you are just hoping you are going to get there, but he was obviously very impressive and the turn of foot he has is something else,” said Dempsey.

“It still hasn’t rally sunk in, but now I’m hopeful of getting a few more.”

And right now, Dempsey will in all likelihood again be pinching himself when he takes his Group winner Give Me Space out onto the track in search of massive Magic Millions glory on Saturday.

The Barry Lockwood trained Vo Rogue winner will line up in the $3 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas where Give Me Space is currently quoted as a $12 chance as he attempts to complete what would be a simply quite unforgettable feature race double for Dempsey if the result does go his way.

The hurdles Dempsey has had to overcome since making the move are not the ones he has been used to clearing for the greater part of his riding career, but they every bit as potentially difficult to negotiate with a fall just a wrong move away.

So, clearly, whatever the outcome on Saturday, all credit is due to Dempsey for getting as far as he has as fast as he has since his move to Queensland.

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