Twenty-year-old apprentice jockey Hazel Schofer will have fond memories of her raceday debut after kicking home a pair of winners on her home track at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Indentured to local trainer Allan Sharrock, the softly spoken Schofer produced a confident display aboard Tavi Mac to record her inauguralwin at just her first ride on a raceday before bringing up a double when scoring on Collinstreet in the last race of the day.
In between times she finished second on class mare Art Deco and impressed Sharrock with the level of maturity she displayed throughout the day. "She's a lovely lass who has a big future ahead of her," Sharrock said. "She's not a natural lightweight but she is nice and strong and has good balance."
Sharrock has full belief in his apprentice which was clearly shown by giving her four rides on stable runners during the day. "You have got to have confidence in them and show that by giving them the rides," he said.
"The horse she won on in race two [Tavi Mac] is an awkward customer and she didn't look that pretty on him but she got the job done.
"I was very proud of the way she handled Collinstreet in the last as she got in a tough spot where most kids would have let them drift out."
A New Plymouth local, Schofer started her career with trainer Ilone Kelly and moved to Levin when Kelly transferred her stable to a new base there. After a brief stint in Levin she returned to New Plymouth and made her way to Sharrock's stable just on a year ago.
Schofer was quick to thank her mentor and members of the Sharrock family when interviewed after her first win.
