Maddie Mankelow's Corfield Cup to remember

By Jordan Gerrans

Punters aiming to get the quaddie at Caulfield on Cup day always face a tough task come the spring carnival every year. 

For Queensland apprentice hoop Maddie Mankelow, she nailed it at her first attempt. 

She landed a Caulfield quaddie - of sorts - on Saturday afternoon. 

Mankelow piloted the last four winners on the non-TAB program from Corfield Amateur Race Club which included the two feature events for the day. 

The Corfield Amateur Race Club refers to their annual race meeting as ‘the real Corfield Cup’ as it carries a similar name to one of the greatest prizes in Australian racing. 

It was a career-best day for the fledgling rider as her four victories bettered her previous high-mark of a double at Charleville. 

The 22-year-old kicked off her riding journey with Toowoomba’s Rochelle Pereira in April of last year before recently shifting her indenture on loan to leading Barcaldine horsewoman Toni Schofield.

The four winners on Saturday highlighted her improvement in the saddle since she lobbed in the Central West about three months ago.

“I haven’t looked back, I have been riding well and getting plenty of support out here,” Mankelow said.

“I was travelling out this way often before I moved out, it was just easier to move out here.”

While the four winners on Saturday kick-started her 2025-26 campaign, the up-and-coming rider was moving in the right direction through the back end of the last term. 

She rode 13 more winners in the 2024-25 season compared to her maiden term as an apprentice jockey.

Schofield was full of praise for her apprentice following her victories aboard Bijara and Here He Looms on Saturday.

“She rode them to perfection on Saturday,” Schofield said.

“She is a good kid and has come out to the bush to get herself going.

“She had not even ridden a treble before Saturday and she goes out and wins four races.

“It could have easily been five, as well, as she was not beaten far in an earlier race.”

From just six bookings, Mankelow rode four winners and two second-place finishes on Saturday. 

Bijara claimed the feature Corfield Bracelet by more than three lengths and Here He Looms was a dominant winner of the local Cup despite being an outsider in the market.

As is usually the case, the Cup victory always takes precedence. 

“I ride his trackwork so I knew what sort of horse I had underneath me,” the apprentice hoop said of Here He Looms.

“When the gaps just opened, I pushed him through and away he went. He took it like a champ, really.”

Here He Looms has some high-profile connections including Central West broadcaster Andrew Watts.

Here He Looms had not placed in his last four starts before he broke through in Saturday’s Cup.

“She only went around one horse on the Cup winner,” Schofield said of her apprentice's ride.

“We have had problems with that horse, but she gets along well with him.

“It is good Maddie is getting support from other trainers out this way and hopefully she can get her provincial licence to ride in the future.”

Corfield is based in the North West racing district of the Sunshine State and borders both the Central West and Leichardt regions, which helps draw in participants from right across Queensland.

The meeting is always a popular one for regional trainers and jockeys as well as the hundreds of punters who descend on the bush facility for the meeting.

Bijara also bounced back to form under the urgings of Mankelow. 

“I ride her in her work as well and she is a pretty nice mare,” the youngster said of Bijara.

“She raced last start with Nick Palmer on and she raced really good.

“She came out here in this race and I popped her in behind them to give her a breath and find her feet. I took some pretty brave gaps.”

Mankelow is keen to keep the ball rolling when she heads to Mount Isa on Thursday for their TAB program. 

She will link up with trainer Tanya Parry who has offered her a full book of engagements. 

Swamp Nation and Card Board Cut Out for Parry were Mankelow’s other two winners on Saturday to round out her four. 

“It was a pretty textbook ride really for the 800 metres, she just jumped and ran,” Mankelow said of her win on Card Board Cut Out.

“I didn’t think she had won, I thought Shane McGovern and Tuck beat me on the outside. I was shocked when I came back into the mounting yard and everyone was clapping at me.

“It was very good and I appreciate every bit of support I am getting.”