One of New Zealand’s most successful jockeys has gone to the trots.
Darryl Bradley, who sits 10th on the all-time list for most wins by a jockey in New Zealand, is mixing raceday riding with his new role as course manager at the Manawatū Raceway in Palmerston North.
During theweek he’s steering a tractor maintaining the track and facilities at the trotting venue. Come the weekend, he switches codes to ride thoroughbred racehorses that can reach speeds of 65km/h.
Darryl Bradley.
Bradley is no stranger to trotting though, and came close to being a trotting driver as a teenager.
His father Graham was a successful trainer of both trotters and gallopers, based in Stratford. He would help his father every morning with both breeds of horse, and he actually drove in a large number of harness trials as a youngster and served a cadetship as a junior driver.
Fate saw Bradley issued a jockey licence ahead of his harness driver’s licence and authorities at the time advised him he couldn’t combine the two. The rest is history - 40 years and 1832 career wins later, he’s still riding winners.
So, is there a chance he might consider a code switch at this stage of his career and apply for a harness driver’s licence?
The 56-year-old is happy combining his two current careers, enabling him to acquire skills and experience in racecourse management, having previously been the manager at Foxton racecourse for four years.
He said he was grateful to the Manawatū Harness Racing Club and committee for the opportunity to continue that career path.
And he was in no hurry to hang up his jockey boots either, even though his services are not as sought after as they once were. The former champion jockey, who rode a career-best 133 winners in the 1997-98 season, has ridden just two winners so far this term.
Darryl Bradley. Photo / Sarah Ivey
But it’s a numbers game. Where once he was riding more than 800 horses a season, this season he’s had just 62 rides.
“The passion for being a jockey is still there. I love it, every time I go back out there,” he said.
“Until that changes, I plan to continue riding. I have no health issues - touch wood - or weight issues, and I’m as active and as fit as I have ever been. Age is just a number.”
One factor that has made life easier for Bradley was the fact his weight had stabilised. He could comfortably ride horses with his weight as low as 54kg.
“It wasn’t always easy, but I think your weight does stabilise. And I’m so active in this job I burn off anything I eat and drink,” he said.
Darryl Bradley riding Hunta Pence to win the Group 3 Manawatū Cup (2300m) in December 2020. Photo / Race Images
Tomorrow, across the road at the Awapuni galloping meeting, he has two rides booked, Maggie McMuffin in Race 1 and Free Range in Race 7, although he would love to have a ride booked in every race.
Bradley had ridden all around the world, including Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Mauritius. He was used to the ups and downs of being a jockey and liked to keep things in perspective.
“I would have loved to get to 2000 career winners but it is realistically beyond reach now. I was probably a little bit unlucky not to get there, but that’s the way things go.”
Darryl Bradley on the job at the Manawatū Raceway.
“I’m just grateful to do be doing what I do.”
The most successful jockey for number of victories was Chris Johnson (2515 wins), who at 58 is preparing for a comeback from injury. Bradley was in eighth position for awhile, but his tally was overtaken in recent seasons by both OP Bosson (1960) and Lisa Allpress (1855).
Bradley had already achieved a major milestone in riding 100 black-type winners, reaching the milestone in 2020 in winning the Feilding Gold Cup on Mohaka.
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air.
