Jamie Mott showed all of his trademark composure with a clever win on improving filly Walking Flying (NZ) in Saturday’s TAB Silver Bowl Series Final at Flemington.
The cool headed jockey hasn’t wasted an opportunity since resuming from a six month injury layoff at Sale on May 12th. At his very first ride back, the thirty two year old brought Rock The Ring from a rearward spot to win a 2YO event for the Hayes/Dabernig team.
He hasn’t stopped riding winners since. Saturday’s Flemington win was Mott’s sixteenth in just over seven weeks - ten for the famous Lindsay Park operation, four for John McArdle and one each for Luke Oliver and Danny O’Brien.
Walking Flying was first out from the inside gate, but it was instantly obvious Jamie was intent on riding her quietly. At the halfway mark the filly was seventh of the fifteen runners with little room to move.
Coming around the turn the jockey left the rail with the intention of angling his way to the outside, but switched course when a gap appeared between Maserartie Bay and the tiring Garimpeiro. The Tavistock filly had the race won in a few strides and was strong to the line in defeating Grinzinger Allee and Stretto.
Jamie has ridden Walking Flying in her three runs back from a spell for three convincing wins. “I think she’s improving rapidly and there’s a lot to like about her,” said the jockey. “I watched most of her earlier videos before I rode her in a race. You could see she was a real trier. She’s been up for quite a while but is showing no sign of training off. She was super on Saturday.”
Walking Flying made it three straight in the TAB Silver Bowl Series Final at Flemington on Saturday - courtesy Racing Photos.
Walking Flying’s sire Tavistock died following a paddock accident at New Zealand’s Cambridge Stud last year. The highly regarded stallion rose to prominence when his son Tarzino notched a Vic. Derby - Rosehill Guineas double for Mick Price and Craig Newitt in the 2015/2016 season.
Her dam Veloce Bella was an accomplished race mare in NZ with twelve wins including a Group 1 (Te Rapa International Stakes), four Gr 2’s and a Gr 3. Walking Flying has been tried three times at 2000m, failing to place in the Wakeful Stakes, Schweppes Oaks and Centaurea Stakes. Her sharp turn of foot on Saturday might suggest a mile is her preferred trip.
The Silver Bowl win was a welcome return to the Flemington winner’s circle for the innately talented Jamie Mott. He’d ridden 13 winners in the month preceding his freakish fall at a Cranbourne night meeting in November - he’d already posted a win and two seconds earlier in the night.
Jamie was involved in a four horse pile up on the locally trained Alsvin, a split second after he’d switched three wide from a trailing position to join two leaders approaching the hometurn. “The outside horse was swinging it’s off foreleg outwards,” recalled Mott. “I’m certain my horse caught the other horse’s outside foot and fell instantly. I know it’s rare but I have no doubt that’s what caused the fall.”
Jason Maskiell, Dwayne Dunn and John Allen also came to grief in the chain reaction, but Jamie was the only casualty - and what a casualty!
He suffered extensive fractures to the tibia and fibula of the right leg, but a secondary fracture wasn’t discovered until later. “Doctors also identified a smaller fracture to the fibula of the opposite leg and I knew I was in big trouble,” said the jockey.
“It meant the difference between crutches and a wheelchair, at least in the initial stages of recovery. The Doctors quickly realised that the right leg would require the insertion of a rod, which is still in place and won’t be removed until later in the year. I had a pretty miserable few months, but somehow you get through these things with the support of family. Now that I’m back riding winners the bad memories are fading.”
During his rehabilitation, Jamie’s wife Carol Anne presented him with his second son Charlie, a brother to three year old Henry. Fate brought Jamie and Carol Anne together a few years ago when both were working for the late Russell Cameron at Flemington. “I was riding most of Russell’s horses at the time and Carol was a valued member of the staff,” he said. “Things moved quickly and it wasn’t long before wedding bells began to chime.”
The couple returned to Carol’s native Ireland for the most charming of weddings. Jamie and Carol exchanged vows in the historic village of Adare in County Limerick, in a thirteenth century chapel. “It was a wonderful experience, made even better by the fact that Russell Cameron and his family were able to attend. A few more months and Russell would have been too ill to travel to Ireland.”
Thumbs up from Jamie after Humma Humma's win in the Alinghi Stakes at Caulfield 19/10/2019 - courtesy Racing Photos.
Previous experience with horses is not a prerequisite for a possible career as a jockey. Many top riders have entered stables without having so much as patted a horse. Theo Green once claimed that he’d rather tutor a “kid who hasn’t learned bad habits.”
In Jamie Mott’s case genetics was an overpowering force. His father Darrell rode many Victorian winners, while his grandfather Des rode successfully over the jumps. His maternal grandmother Janet was a successful trainer at Geelong.
It was “Nana Janet” who gave young Jamie his introduction to stable life, before arranging his transfer to the Leon Corstens stable where he learned many of the finer points and rode a tremendous amount of trackwork.
During this period the youngster got to ride an elite racehorse for the first time. Leon Corstens entrusted him with several trackwork sessions on the triple Gr 1 winner Helenus, a $2 million dollar earner.
After a valuable twelve months in the Corstens establishment Jamie returned to Geelong where his grandmother got him ready to ride for his “ticket”. Some time later, it was Leon Corstens who supplied Jamie’s all important first race riden - one he’d rather forget. “I absolutely slaughtered a horse called Umaforce at Cranbourne,” recalled the jockey. “It haunts me to this day. I got completely lost.”
Happily Nana Janet was the trainer of her grandson’s magical first winner on April 4th, 2004. Jamie was having his 8th race ride when he led throughout to win on Toy Machine at Colac by a commanding 3.5 lengths.
In the middle of 2005 Janet decided to send the youngster on 3 months loan to Danny O’Brien. Race rides were few and far between, but Jamie did manage to “snare” a Rising Stars Apprentices series on a mare called Reine Du Soire at historic Flemington.
Jamie Mott’s still winning them at Flemington! Here he is after the Silver Bowl win on Saturday - courtesy Racing Photos.
It was during this short stint with O’Brien that Jamie first became aware of the lurid tricks the body can play. During a 14 day suspension his weight soared at an alarming rate. At the end of a fortnight of inactivity, he was stunned to see that he was 62kgs. Terrified of tampering with nature, Jamie quit his apprenticeship rather than abuse his body.
It wasn’t long before he was back riding work, with no intention of riding in races again. A couple of strong gallops on talented horses was all it took.
He made the move to the burgeoning Cranbourne training centre where there were horses dangling from trees. He rode a massive amount of work for Cranbourne trainers five days a week and got to Flemington once a week to assist Danny O’Brien.
Jamie got his riding career up and going again, but paid a terrible price. The horrors of the sweat box and a starvation diet put him in a mental state which would lead him to drugs. He was devastated when he returned a positive result in a random jockeys room test. He was outed for six months which looked certain to finish his career.
He stunned family and friends when he threw himself into a regime of regular exercise and careful dieting. This particular comeback rocked the racing world. Mott rode a staggering 24 winners in the first month. Trainers were coming from everywhere to put him on and he wasn’t letting them down.
But again the demons won the battle. A second positive test result banished him for an endless 8 months. When it was over Jamie was close to defeat as the scales registered a whopping 71kgs. But it was his lifelong addiction to the thoroughbred horse that got him back for one last crack at the thing he loves most of all.
This is where the late Russell Cameron entered Jamie’s life - the man destined to become his mentor, adviser and close friend. How fortuitous it was that Carol Anne should materialise at exactly the same time. Her wise counsel and lilting Irish accent also played a major part. As the weight came off, Jamie’s resolve to salvage his career increased at a rapid rate.
Russell Cameron was just 61 when he succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer’s Disease in September of last year. With every ride from that moment on, Jamie was doing it for Russell. The winners wouldn’t stop.
How cruel it was on November 8th last year when a freakish racing accident put a temporary stop to such a spiritual journey. I’m sure Jamie held many an imaginary consultation with his old friend during an uncomfortable, sweaty, boring summer rehabilitation.
Russell would have viewed with delight, Jamie’s return to the saddle just under two months ago and the sixteen winners he’s reeled off in a heck of a hurry. His career tally now stands at a very healthy 1161. He’s won a Gr 2, a couple of Gr 3’s, and seven listed races. No Gr 1 yet, but he’s sure as hell working on it.
John McArdle has given Jamie great support. They combined to win the 2019 Alinghi Stakes with Humma Humma - courtesy Racing Photos.
As a measure of this bloke’s wide range of saddle skills, let’s not forget a brief but significant stint over the jumps. Jamie won jumps races on Livery at Warrnambool and Ballarat, and the time honoured Australian Hurdle on Arch Fire.
He also got to ride Arch Fire in the historic Grand National Hurdle on the Lakeside course at Sandown in 2016. He finished last of seven, but he’ll still delight in telling Henry and Charlie their Dad once rode in the historic Grand National Hurdle.
Jamie Mott and Cliff's Edge combined to win the 2018 Gr 2 Alister Clark Stakes - courtesy Racing Photos.
(Banner Image - Walking Flying and Jamie Mott combined to win the TAB Silver Bowl Final at Flemington - courtesy Racing Photos)