Natalie Morton's extraordinary return to the winning circle

By Jordan Gerrans

In a much better mental headspace and with her weight now under control, comeback rider Natalie Morton is back relishing being at the races.

The Maryborough-based jockey has been on the comeback trail through the second half of 2025 and landed her first winner back at Isisford on Saturday.

The 33-year-old’s last victory was back in June of 2021 at Cunnamulla.

Previously based at Roma, Morton was away from the races not long after that Cunnamulla triumph until April of 2023 but after a quick stint back riding, she was again away from the saddle until June of this year.

Morton’s weight ballooned to as much as 95kg in her time away from race riding as she battled with mental health challenges while also ‘abusing food’.

While the country jockey was smiling to be back in the winner’s enclosure on Saturday at Isisford, she is also glad to be back in a more positive mind frame being based closer to her family at Maryborough.

“I moved home to my Mum and Dad’s place and they helped me out a fair bit,” Morton said.

“The last two years, especially the last year, everything has got better for me really. Everything turned around. 

“I lived out in the western areas of Queensland for about 15 years, I hadn’t been around Mum and Dad for a long time, so to get back home with them, that was really helpful.

“I was back where I was happy, I was enjoying going to work and going back to the track.

“I am enjoying riding again. Working in the cattle sale yards is great, as well, it breaks up my racing stuff and keeps my head level.”

The well-travelled hoop rides work at Gympie every morning for trainers such as Barry Gill, Adrian Olsen and Melanie Finnigan, among others.

She punches around 10 around the sand at Gympie most mornings, which she says has been key to getting her body back in race riding condition.

While Morton’s weight inflated to 95kg at points of her time away from riding, she was hovering at 76kg earlier this year when she decided to make a return to the races.

On top of riding work, she has also been running every day, working in physical job at the cattle sale yards while also eating an improved diet.

She rode at 56kg on Saturday at Isisford.

 “It has been a long journey, I know that,” she said of her extraordinary weight loss. 

“Mum and Dad helped me out; they jumped on the weight loss bandwagon with me.

“My Mum was great, making me pea and ham soup to take to work which was stacked with vegetables

“It was just buckling down and dedication really.

“I just put my mind to it that I wanted to get back riding.”

The comeback hoop returned at Cunnamulla in early June after a two-year hiatus from race riding.

She was nearing 20 rides without success in her return before she was legged up aboard Boston Of Tuffy for Ilfracombe mentor Rodney Little on Saturday.

Boston Of Tuffy is known to do his best work over a mile but he sprinted smartly for Morton over 1200 metres on Saturday.

The bay gelding scored by almost two lengths in Ratings Band 0 – 50 Handicap grade.

It was a massive run as Boston Of Tuffy was well back in the field through the early stages of the event.

 “It was good to get a winner because I was starting to get a bit disheartened,” she said.

“I was starting to think that I hadn’t pulled the right rein coming back but it has paid off now.

“I was over the moon to win the race.

“He was not the horse I expected to win on; I had another one that day that I thought could win.

“I wanted to keep him out of the dust on Saturday at Isisford and he knuckled down to beat them well.”

Morton says she is loving riding in the Central West region of the Sunshine State in her return.

In her earlier stints riding, Morton enjoyed a good spell working for former Roma trainer Craig Smith, highlighted by the 2016-17 campaign where she collected 25 winners.