By Isaac Murphy
Racing needs more young people like Jemma Daley, the former jockey turned greyhound trainer has a zest for both codes that is hard to find.
She now channels her early experiences in the thoroughbred industry and a top-class tutelage to dive headfirst into her greyhound training career.
“My earliest memories were of my grandfather (Brian Daley) having greyhounds on his property and me wandering around the paddocks just loving them as a little kid,” Daley said.
“As things go, I kind of drifted away from it all and ended up in the thoroughbreds which I was always involved in as a kid and even throughout my years working with horses I always kept an interest in dogs and decided to make a go of it.”
Daley turned back to her grandfather to guide her in the right direction, and the first call he made was to lifelong trainer Michael ‘Tricky’ Stephenson who was more than happy to help the next generation.
“I was talking to my grandfather over the period of a few weeks around February last year and was really warming to the idea of becoming a greyhound trainer, and the first person my grandfather called was ‘Tricky’ to ask to help get me started,” Daley said.
“You’ve got to have a handlers ticket for the first six months so, it was a really good experience for me to poke along with Tricky’s (Michael Stephenson) dogs and once the six months was up I felt like I was ready to hit the ground running.”
Daley did just that, starting her career with a couple of pups from Tony Glover’s classy litter.
“It was perfect timing with the Fernando Bale/Hara’s Annie litter getting broken in and I ended up with Hara’s Bonnie and Hara’s Bacon who were two really good dogs to start with,” Daley said.
“Tricky vouched for me with the owner Tony Glover but I still owe Tony a hell of a lot selling me a couple of smart young pups with no training experience behind me.
“I was lucky enough to get Hara’s Penny across from Tony Brett as well from the same litter, I was very fortunate to start off with that kind of talent.”
In the ensuing months, Daley has gone on to win over the 520 at Ipswich with Hara’s Bacon and Hara’s Penny, but the young trainer is confident the strong breed will get them both over the 600 metres eventually.
“Bacon had his first crack at the 600 metres Monday night at Albion Park, going into it was a bit of an unknown,” Daley said.
“Unfortunately he got squeezed out to last early but ran on really well and showed me enough to give him another crack next week.
“I think he’s a much better dog drawn off the track where he may just miss it half a length but get the chance to balance up and get a clear run.”
Daley speaks even higher of Hara’s Bonnie who came from eight lengths off the speed to win at Ipswich two starts ago.
“As for Hara’s Bonnie, she’ll stay at the 520 metres for at least the near future; she’s still learning her trade, but she looks like she’s headed for the distance as well,” Daley said.
“She’s still very raw, but of the two I’d have to say she’s probably the bitch I think has the most upside and become a really handy chaser.
“Again, none of that would have been possible if Tony Brett hadn’t been willing to send her to me about three months ago now, for which I’m incredibly grateful.”
Daley said she couldn’t speak highly enough of the greyhound fraternity, and the willingness of fellow trainers to lend a hand has been invaluable.
“I’ve learnt from my earliest days in racing you can never have enough friends in the industry, I always try to go out of my way to say g’day to everyone and get out there and meet new people,” she said.
“Everyone I’ve come across in my short training career have been nothing but welcoming and looking to lend a hand when you need it.
“For me it’s about establishing my own brand of training while also taking little tips and things I pick up off some of the trainers who’ve been so successful over the years.”
Daley’s down to earth, hardworking attitude is likely bred out of her experiences working with some of Queensland’s biggest stables, and her own successful riding career throughout the state.
“Ian Livingstone - one of our neighbours who was a horse trainer growing up - asked me if I’d be interested in coming and riding trackwork as a teenager and that was the end of it; I was all in on the horses,” Daley said.
“I eventually got my apprenticeship and started riding for Ian, who opened a few doors for me to get started in Brisbane with John Hawkes, then went to Pat Duff and was an apprentice to Darren Bell.
“I went out west and rode on the country circuit for a period of time, being a heavier rider it was easier with my weight out there.
“I had the highest strike rate as an apprentice but really struggled with my weight when I was trying to get a look in at certain tracks.”
Daley relished her time covering the kilometres from meeting to meeting, but with the highs came lows which ended her riding career.
“I always remember my first winner Master Que who I rode for Darren (Bell) at the Sunshine Coast, he’d been lobbying for me to get on for a while and I eventually got my chance,” she said.
“He told me he doesn’t like to be crowded too much so I led with him and we had to be out by a furlong.
“I was a three kilo claiming kid who hadn’t won a race at the provincials yet, I couldn’t believe it when we won by four lengths paying about $17.
“As much as I loved my time riding you can’t understate the stress you put your body through, I was constantly sick wasting before races and was happy to give it away when I did.”
Daley learnt how to form a working friendship long before she entered the greyhound trainer ranks and is till trusted to this day for her work with horses.
“I built good relationships in my time riding and continued as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades working with the horses in Brisbane, I rode track work all the way up to three weeks ago when I decided enough was enough, she said.
“I had the thrill of strapping The Bostonian before he won the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and the Kingsford-Smith Cup last year being good mates with the horse’s owner David Archer.
“Horses will always be my first love but when I commit to something, I go all in and I’m loving what I’m doing at the moment as a greyhound trainer and can’t wait for whatever the future has in store.”