Tassie Chloe set to do well in Brisbane

By Jordan Gerrans

Top Tasmanian youngster Chloe Wells believes a winner for mentor Robert Heathcote during the recent National Apprentice Race Series helped secure her a stint in the Sunshine State. 

The 24-year-old will make the move north to Brisbane for an initial three-month loan period, starting this week where she takes three rides at Doomben in the last city meeting of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Chloe represented her native Tasmania during the NARS and won one of the two Brisbane races on offer in April. 

That was aboard Teesandcees Apply for Eagle Farm conditioner Heathcote. 

Following the triumph, the multiple Group 1-winning trainer suggested to Chloe that he had an opening in his barn for her if she was keen.

“I do not think this loan move would have happened without that winner,” Chloe reflected.

“It was great to get that connection with Rob and he was brilliant to ride for that day, he put no pressure on me in that race and it worked out perfectly.

“He flagged it back then about me doing more riding for him in the future and I eventually chased him up to see if the offer still stood and here we are.”

Heathcote will provide his new stable hoop one of her three rides in town on Wednesday as Sunshine Coast horsewoman Kerry Taplin gives her the other two. 

Chloe is apprenticed to her grandfather Leon Wells in Tasmania and has six months left of her time. 

She has had a ‘stop-start’ time as an apprentice.

Chloe kicked off her career well in the season of 2020-21 before a long-term injury put her on the sidelines for more than a year. 

The up-and-coming rider has 44 winners to her name this season as she has progressed through the Tasmanian ranks and will finish the season fourth on their senior jockeys title. 

“She is a really good girl and she is a very good worker, she rides plenty of trackwork for me and other trainers down this way like Barry Campbell and others,” Leon said.

“She deserves everything she gets. She sits on very good as a jockey.

“She claims three on the bottom, she is only a lightweight – she is not very high, she is only a small kid.”

Leon was previously in a training team with his two sons Dean (Chloe’s father) and Trent.

He now trains on his own. Leon grabbed a winning double with his granddaughter in the saddle earlier this month at Devonport. 

“She has already ridden a winner in town there in Brisbane so hopefully she can go well,” Leon said.

“She has the three rides on Wednesday.

“She rode a winner on Sunday at Hobart, she is going well and she has improved out of sight in the first half of this year. A lot of that has to do with confidence.”

Leon has a record of mentoring top apprentices as elite-level hoop Craig Newitt and former top jockey Glenn Smith also came through his barn. 

Chloe is under no illusions just how tough it will be to break into the Queensland market.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity and I know it’s going to be a complete eye-opener to be around the different jockeys and trainers,” she said.

“I am willing to work hard and get a go, hopefully I can be successful. I know it’s going be tough, but I am keen to work hard.”

Tasmanian racing broadcaster and scribe Duncan Dornauf backed Chloe to make her mark on the mainland. 

“She has had an outstanding season in Tasmania,” Dornauf said.

Chloe has linked up with jockey manager Ryan Crawford for her stint in the Sunshine State.

“She has a handy three-kilogram metro and three-kilogram provincial claim to go to work with,” Crawford said.

Tasmania has been a happy hunting ground for future Queensland apprentices recently with Chelsea Baker spending the last year in South East Queensland. 

Baker rode a winning double at Toowoomba on Monday afternoon.