SAMANTHA COLLETT PRIMED FOR 2022

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 1, 2022

Samantha Collett will go into the new year full of confidence that her career move from New Zealand to South-East Queensland has now really gained traction.

A rider of undoubted talent … a Jockey’s premiership in her home country, three Group 1 wins and a host of stakes race successes … left it in no doubt that Collett would find her feet in her new surroundings, but making a fresh start in any new racing precinct is a move filled with obvious challenges.

Collett only arrive in Brisbane a couple of months ago and, although the first winner, understandably, took a little while to arrive (it took just under a month after lift off) Collett’s self believe and outright enthusiasm never wavered.

“It’s just about believing in yourself. If you don’t, nobody else will … right?” Collett said at the time.

Now she is flying.

In the last two weeks Collett rode a double at Ipswich on December 31, a treble at the same track on December 24, a Saturday double in town at Eagle Farm on December 18 and, if you want to go back a little further, another double at Ipswich on November 27.

Not surprisingly, with her strike power at Ipswich, Collett currently sits at the top of the Ipswich Jockey’s Premiership after only participating the last two months of a season that is five months old.

And it not that she is getting any push along by any one big stable.

The nine winners mentioned above were supplied by no less than eight trainers – John Dann (x2), Paul Duncan, Tony Gollan, Matt Kropp, Chris Meagher, John Symons and Sheila Laxon, Kelly Schweida and Marcus Wilson.

In her last fifty rides Collett has ridden for twenty-seven trainers, underlining the obvious fact that she doesn’t shy away from putting in the hard yards.

Given her ability and her appetite, it is hardly surprising then that she is travelling so well … but she still had to make it happen!

Collett has five rides at Doomben on New Year’s Day … including Intrepidacious for Lee Freeman, in the Listed Nudgee Stakes, and Dovetail Diva for John Symons and Sheila Laxon, in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate.

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