Young Spencer brings double joy for stable

By Jordan Gerrans

Young Spencer is kicking goals at home in Alpha and his parents are also doing their bit on the track in the Central West.

Jockey Tessa Townsend welcomed son Spencer into the world earlier this year with partner Reece Zahl, who trains a team of horses in the region.

The 34-year-old hoop has made a slow and steady return to the races in recent weeks and nabbed her first victory back on Saturday at Isisford as Loaded Weapon won over 1200 metres.

She took her first rides back in late September at Twin Hills and landed her comeback victory at her sixth attempt.

“It is always good to get the monkey off the back and everything like that, it's definitely even better to ride a winner for Reece,” Townsend said.

While it was a special day for Townsend to pilot her first winner back, it was an even sweeter day for the stable as Zahl prepared two winners, with Luna Ready winning earlier in the program.

The voice of racing in the Central West, Andrew Watts, cheekily referred to the young horseman as ‘Reece Waller of Alpha’ in his broadcast from Isisford on Saturday.

Jockey Townsend has ridden extensively across Queensland throughout her career, while also spending time interstate.

She said the timing was right to start a family with the 28-year-old Zahl.

“Spencer is good. He's five months old now and he's thriving,” the rider said.

“I've achieved a lot of things, with my riding. I've ridden nearly all over Australia, got to see so many different tracks, ride for so many different trainers and kind of wanted a bit more in life, something else.

“I think having a baby, it was a good idea.”

It has been a busy period in the Zahl and Townsend household.

Young Spencer is growing fast, while the trainer has seven gallopers in work (including a few others in the spelling paddock), as well as a full-time job in the Central West.

All the hard work behind the scenes is worth it when they can produce results as they did on Saturday.

Loaded Weapon has been a smart buy for the Alpha stable.

After trialling only fairly in his two public appearances on the Gold Coast with Peter Robl, the gelding has quickly won twice and been placed on five other occasions over the last year or so in the bush.

“Well, Reece actually got him as a two-year-old and we've always seen heaps of potential with him,” she said.

“But, we've always just taken him really slow and he's actually very smart and very talented.

“I don't think we've hardly been out of the money with him yet.

“He's just an easy horse, he'd come to us just very mature.

“In my opinion, I honestly think he'll go a long way.

“He's matured a lot more and he just keeps getting better and better. So, I think, he'll go through his grades pretty well.”

Since returning from pregnancy, Townsend isn’t pushing herself to get her weight down in the initial stages, as she hopes to ramp things up again next year when she feels ready to do so.

The winner on Saturday was her first since October of last year at Richmond.

“It's a lot of adjustment, your whole body is completely different,” she said.

“I'm still trying to work out what it needs and everything like that, so that's why I'm just taking it slow at the moment.

“That's why most of my rides, I'm only taking just our horses, ones of Reece’s.

“I know all the horses and everything like that, then hopefully next year I might get back into it full swing.

“I haven't been stressing myself out over my weight or trying to get back to 100 per cent of where I was.”

Luna Ready was able to score in her first effort in the Central West after previously being prepared by Tom Smith at Rockhampton.

Apprentice Jacallen Dooley steered the mare to victory, completing an Alpha winning double for the young hoop.

“Jacallen used to do all of her riding and everything for her,” Townsend said.

“The owners group, they were happy to keep Jacallen on, so that's how that worked out.”