All highways lead to Hobart for Maddie Mankelow

Cover photo: Longreach Jockey Club

By Andrew Smith

Being told you are going to represent your state while stopped on the side of the highway in outback Queensland is not the usual way that apprentice jockeys would receive the news.

But for Maddie Mankelow, it was just another Friday on the way to the Mount Isa race meeting where she was told of her call-up to ride in this year’s National Apprentice Race Series.

The 23-year-old will fly the flag for the Sunshine State when she heads to Hobart for the second leg of NARS this Sunday.

She will replace fellow young gun Leah Martyn who was stood down from riding with concussion following a fall at Beaudesert last week.

It paved the way for Mankelow to be called into the team following her exceptional season so far on the Queensland country circuit.

The young hoop is indentured to bush trainer Toni Schofield and her partner Nathan.

Mankelow thought her NARS call-up was initially a joke when receiving the call on the highway just outside Winton last Friday.

“We'd had a bit of a rough start to the day, we had rushed around to get all the horses ready to go,” Mankelow explained.

“We had four going to Townsville, and four going to Mount Isa and one went off in the float, and we had to take it back to Longreach.

“We were stuck on the side of the highway with three horses, and then Nathan called me and told me I was riding in Tasmania next weekend.

“I said, ‘what? You’re joking aren’t you?’ And he said ‘no, you’re riding in Tasmania.’

“It’s surreal and exciting – I’ve never been down there ever, and I don't know really what to expect, I just hope it's good.”

Mankelow has been enjoying a bumper season in the saddle so far, and currently sits in top spot in the Country Apprentice Premiership standings with 37 wins.

Striking at 23%, the youngster said the call-up was a reflection of the hard work she had put in throughout the season.

“I feel like I've achieved something - I've been at the Central West and I've ridden two quaddies this season already,” Mankelow said.

“I’ve been working tirelessly, and it just shows that hard work does pay off.

“I don't always ride at TAB meetings and places like that where I have eyes on me, so it's a really nice feeling to be able to be seen, or feel like I've been seen from the Central West.

“I think I've had a really good start to the season, and hopefully it continues so I can win the apprentice premiership.”

Going on loan to the Schofields in June last year, Maneklow made the permanent move to the Barcaldine-based stable in September.

The lightweight youngster, who hails from Nanango, paid tribute to the couple in allowing her to develop in the saddle.

“It's a credit to our horses and support from the owners and Nathan and Toni for entrusting me to ride the horses that we've got,” Mankelow said.

“We go to race meetings, and they give me a full book, and they trust me – I get on a horse and they say ‘you know him, just go and do what you do.’

“They don't over-complicate things when you get on either - you get on some people's horses where they sometimes over complicate the instructions.

“I pretty much just let the horses jump out and see where they land and how they feel and Toni and Nathan have been really good to trust me enough and continue to support me.”

Mankelow has been a big reason behind the Schofield stable’s success so far this season, with their 43 wins coming at a strike rate of 26%.

They will now be without their star apprentice for the Longreach Jockey Club’s first meeting of the year this Saturday.

But Nathan said he had no reservations about letting Mankelow head south to Tasmania despite having to scramble to find a replacement hoop.

“(RQ Senior Apprentice Coach) Shane Scriven rang me on Friday, and I didn't even think about our runners and I just said ‘yep, Maddie can go,’” Nathan said.

“It was about 45 minutes of turmoil trying to find someone else to fill Maddie’s rides at Longreach, but we’ve got Nikki Olzard to come out.

“Condolences to Leah getting hurt but it’s a fantastic opportunity for Maddie.

“She's worked really hard and she's sacrificed so much since she's been out with us, and she's really doing a good job.”

After the first round of NARS in Alice Springs last weekend, Queensland sits at equal bottom of the table on four points.

Tom Orr posted a third on Stella Bystarlight in race one of the series on Sunday, before his mount for the second leg was unfortunately scratched at the barriers.

Following this weekend, the series heads west to Belmont, Western Australia, where Corey Sutherland will fly the flag for Queensland on Wednesday, March 25.