CATCHING UP WITH CORNISH (NOVEMBER 2)

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, November 2, 2022

HRO brings you another episide of its regular 'Catching up with Cornish' feature as the emerging, star apprentuice Jasmine Cornish gives us the inside line of how her career is unfolding

Jasmine Cornish’s great winning run, in which she rode at least one winner at no less than five successive race-meetings (at Ipswich on October 19; Gatton on October 20 – two wins; Doomben on October 22, Sunshine Coast on October 23 and Eagle Farm on October 26) came to an end when The Golden Soul, her last ride at Ipswich on October 28, had to settle for second place, just failing by 0.30 lengths to reel in the winner.

So, what did Cornish do next?

She won again on October 29 at Eagle Farm to add seven winners in the previous ten days to her fast-rising winning total.

But wait ... there’s more.

Cornish then won again on at her next meeting … again at Eagle Farm, this time on Melbourne Cup day, making it … wait for it … the sixth successive city meeting in which she has ridden a winner … a run of results which now sees her sit in sixth place on the Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership.

Clearly Cornish is settling very well into the highly competitive Metropolitan riding scene … something that can prove intimidating to any young rider entering a domain where others rule and you have to earn your way forward … but, as she has done since she was first legged up for a race, Cornish is staying grounded while trying to do everything she can to ensure she doesn’t break stride and lose momentum.

“It’s really good riding in town,” explained Cornish. “You have to learn quickly if you are going to do well there.

“I went back to Toowoomba a couple of weeks ago … after a meeting in town … and I guess you could say it makes you realise how different it is and how I am getting quite used to riding in town now.

“I’d completely forgotten how full on it is there, whereas it’s a lot more about tactics in town.

“Racing in town is very much a learning experience. You have just got to sharpen your skills to be able to compete.”

And what about trackwork in town, something that Cornish found to be on an eye-opening larger scale than anything she had been used to when she first went there, coming, as she did, from the more sedate training set-up at Beaudesert.

“As far as riding work in town etc … I have got more used to it, but for the last two weeks I’ve just gone in for some jump-outs and trials and switched things around a bit,” said Cornish.

“Dad (trainer Greg Cornish) and I have a team of babies back home … four two-year-olds.

“I’ve been trying to do some work with those on the days we don’t go to the track, so it made it a little bit hard for me to get to town on the days that I normally wouldn’t be riding for dad, because I’m doing work on these babies.

"Actually, I really like them. They are four really nice two-year-olds and I think they are the best we have ever had. They’ve got some ability, so that’s really exciting.”

That strong family connection … and the loyalty that comes with it … is very much part of Cornish’s make-up with Jasmine having ridden thirty-nine of the last fifty runners saddled by her father … and, for the time being at least, that role of helping to build the family business, both in the saddle and behind the scenes, will remain a factor in determining her riding schedule.

Not that Cornish is short of options.

Multiple premiership winning trainer Robert Heathcote, amongst others, has been showing Cornish good support and, of course, she did a really good job when winning aboard Logan Street Lion in her first ride for Chris Waller on Melbourne Cup day.

“I’m not eyeing off any Premiership this time around. I’m just happy to ride as many winners as I can,” explained Cornish.

"I’ve only got a few winners left until I lose my provincial claim, which is a quite sad. I know that’s the way it is, but I don’t want to see that go.

“I know a lot of apprentices are happy to outride their claim but, for me, its going t be sad to see it go, because I know its value.

“I’ve obviously just got to put those feelings aside though and just keep on doing what I am doing and keep on improving.”

On past evidence, and given the focus and dedication Cormish has displayed during her rapid rise to prominence, few would doubt that she will be true to her word and do just that!

More articles