It’s not uncommon to see a winning jockey “pump the air” in the euphoria of victory, or shake his or her head when surprised by the dominance of a performance but at Kembla Grange on Saturday Blake Spriggs broke new ground.
The young jockey lowered his head as if in silent prayer, as he went past the post on Prince Of Arragon in the Wollongong RSL Gallipoli Cup. Blake had a very good reason for his unusual display of body language.
Prince Of Arragon is one of many horses to carry the colours of Waratah Thoroughbreds whose founder and owner Paul Fudge hasn’t been enjoying the best of health in recent times. The respected businessman derives great joy from watching his horses compete, and believes an occasional winner delivers more therapeutic benefit than anything the Doctors can prescribe.
“I went to Randwick on the Tuesday morning to ride Prince Of Arragon in his final gallop for the Kembla race,” said Blake. “Trainer John Thompson and I were thrilled with his work and both declared it a winning gallop. I called Paul Fudge later in the morning, and I could hear him light up when I passed on the good news. I knew a win would mean a lot to Paul, not to mention my own battle to get going again following a recent layoff with a complicated shoulder dislocation. When I hit the line I just bowed my head in a gesture of relief and gratitude.”
Blake's relief was evident as he passed the post on Prince Of Arragon at Kembla. Runner up is Tenorino (Jeff Penza) - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Blake’s ride was an absolute gem. Despite a very slow speed the four year old travelled generously on the fence in third place to the turn. The jockey was tempted to cut loose when a split presented itself at the top of the straight but elected to hold up for a bit longer. “I was mindful he hadn’t raced since October, and it was a 1500m race”, said the jockey. “I had to get going when I spotted Jeff Penza sneaking up on the fence with Tenorino. You don’t give Jeff any starts.”
Paul Fudge has given Blake Spriggs unwavering support in recent years including the regular riding of his imported galloper Sir John Hawkwood. The gelding had won four average races for Sir Michael Stoute in the UK but was offered for sale after finishing well back in the Gr 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. Craig Ritchie and Peter Moody were his first two trainers in Australia but eventually he found his way to the Warwick Farm stables of David Vandyke, and to a new jockey in young Blake Spriggs.
Blake has spent a lot of time in the Waratah Thoroughbreds colours. Here he is with Sir John Hawkwood after a win in the 2015 Christmas Cup - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Sir John Hawkwood raced consistently for Vandyke finishing out of the money only once in eight starts. He won the listed Christmas Cup and the Gr 3 Sky High Stakes, and was placed in four other stakes races including a close second to Benzini in the Gr 2 Brisbane Cup.
When David Vandyke made the decision to relocate to Queensland in 2016, Sir John Hawkwood was transferred to John Thompson who’d had previous success for Waratah Thoroughbreds. Blake Spriggs was retained as his jockey with the best days still ahead. Following a spell Sir John Hawkwood had two barrier trials before resuming with a solid second to McCreery in the Gr 3 Kingston Town Stakes. Two weeks later the gelding raced on the pace before forging away to beat Antonio Giuseppe and Allergic in the Gr 1 Metropolitan - a maiden win at the elite level for the young jockey.
Blake’s dream adventure with Sir John Hawkwood continued when he spent eight weeks in Melbourne with the horse during the spring carnival of 2016. The imported galloper secured starts in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups with Blake Spriggs as his jockey. He finished down the course in both, but left the young Sydney jockey with indelible memories. There was a smattering of deja vu at Kembla on Saturday when Blake won on Prince Of Arragon in the same colours, and for the same trainer.
Gr 1 glory at last! Blake wins the 2016 Metropolitan on his favourite Sir John Hawkwood - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
After eight weeks out of the loop Blake was anxious to regenerate his Sydney contacts. He’d ridden a few winners and was on top of the world when he was brought back to earth with a thud. He was racing outside the leader on Minute Silence as the field approached the hometurn in a race at Hawkesbury, when the Todd Howlett trained mare appeared to blunder and dislodge Blake without warning. A fractured knee cap and a nasty gash over one eye kept him out of the saddle for three months. His Melbourne Cup experience suddenly seemed a long time ago.
As the son of successful jockey Dale Spriggs, it was expected that a career in racing would dominate his thoughts from an early age, but there were other distractions during school days. The multi talented youngster could run like the wind, reaching state level at age ten. He excelled at the 800 and 1500m, and actually obliterated a couple of long standing records at one stage.
He was equally adept with a soccer ball - so good in fact that he was invited to try out for an Australian Youth Talent Team to tour Germany.
Sadly young Spriggs didn’t have the commitment to training so necessary to take his talents to the optimum level. “I couldn’t handle the grind of training and it wasn’t long before racing became my priority,” said Blake.
He was of the right build to take on an apprenticeship, and was hopeful that some of his father’s ability had been passed on. Dale Spriggs had been a consistently good jockey for many years earning the respect of many trainers around the state. He’d had offers to join metropolitan stables including one very tempting enticement from the late Guy Walter, but chose a rural lifestyle.
Blake was lucky enough to land an apprenticeship with Newcastle trainer Steve Hodge who also allowed him to ride work for trainers like Kris Lees and Paul Perry. He clearly remembers the enormous thrill generated by winning at his very first ride in a race. He led throughout to win on Sixty Watt for trainer Debbie Prest at Muswellbrook on March 14th 2008. “I couldn’t believe I’d won first up,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Just over two years later his Muswellbrook achievement was eclipsed by a monumental feat at Rosehill Gardens. The winners had been flowing freely, resulting in many metropolitan opportunities. On July 17th 2010 Blake Spriggs did what few apprentices had done before, winning five races on a Saturday city programme.
His winners were Crossbow (Gai Waterhouse), African Prince (Chris Waller), Atomic Force (Darren Smith), Mr. Unforgettable (Kevin Moses) and Miss Independent (Chris Waller). “It’s funny but my clearest memory is of something that happened as I was leaving the course,” recalled the jockey. “A large number of punters were still enjoying a drink in the member’s area. As I walked through that area towards the car park they gave me a rousing standing ovation. I’ll never forget it.”
Gai Waterhouse provided Blake with one of his most important wins when she gave him the ride on Squamosa in the Gr 3 Run To The Rose just a few weeks after his “fabulous five”. Wearing the Star Thoroughbreds colours, Blake led all the way to win the stakes race on the Not A Single Doubt colt - one of Squamosa’s four wins from just seven starts. “Gai told me the owners really didn’t want me on in such an important race,” said Blake. “She had to talk them into it. Nash Rawiller rode Squamosa in the Golden Rose two weeks later finishing second to Toorak Toff.”
An important win for a young jockey. Blake wins the 2010 Run To The Rose in the Star Thoroughbred colours - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Gai dispatched Blake on another important mission in 2015 when she sent him to Adelaide with a filly called Ondina for a couple of stakes races. “I was thrilled to win the listed Laelia Stakes during the Adelaide carnival and got to ride her again in the Gr 3 Auraria Stakes two weeks later. She led but finished out of a place in the stronger race.”
Gai had formed a very good impression of young Spriggs during a short stint he had with Tulloch Lodge towards the end of his apprenticeship. “I had eight months with Gai before returning to Newcastle to finish my time with Jason Deamer,” he said.
Perhaps Blake’s most satisfying moment as a jockey was to win the 2009 Moree Cup on the Steve Hodge trained Geigeron. Among the spectators was the jockey’s late grandfather Kevin Hartin who’d had a profound influence on the youngster’s early life. “I spent many holidays on Pop’s Moree property as a kid,” recalled Blake. “He was a great horseman in his own right and taught me many good habits. From the day I started riding Pop was my greatest fan. To win the Cup with him in the grandstand was very special.”
Blake's services were in demand during his apprenticeship. Here he is winning on Motspur at Rosehill August 2009. Runner up is Patronyme (Corey Brown) - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
With the long time intrusion of Covid 19 and busy race schedules, Blake and his fiancee Rachel King haven’t yet been able to lock in a date for their impending wedding. Their much publicised engagement was announced eighteen months ago when Blake proposed to Rachel at the popular Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra.
In an endeavour to make up for many hours apart in recent times, the couple fled to Noosa Heads recently for some well earned R&R. Blake believes their reluctance to “talk shop” too much at home is a sensible practice. “We briefly mention how our respective rides fared on the day and that’s the end of it,” he said.
Spriggs is currently spending a couple of days a week riding work for Warwick Farm trainers Matthew Smith and Gary Portelli who are reciprocating with regular rides. “They’re trainers who reward hard work,” said Blake. “I’m happy to travel out of town if required. They had a runner each at Bathurst on Monday so off I went over the mountains. Both horses ran third. I’m also riding a few in trackwork for David Pfieffer. Hopefully I can build up a nice little base at the Farm.”
Blake and Rachel share a luxury few jockeys get to experience. He’s able to eat a light dinner most nights to maintain a comfortable riding weight of 54kgs. “Sometimes Rachel sits down to a steak bigger than she is,” he said. “No matter how much she puts away, that girl walks around at 48 or 49kgs every day of the week. She’s always strong and healthy and doesn’t it show in her riding.”
Thirty or forty years ago established Sydney jockeys rarely ventured to Kembla Grange or Newcastle on a Saturday. Limited opportunities and the strength of the Sydney riding ranks have changed all of that. “I counted half a dozen riders in the Newcastle jockey’s room recently who’d ridden one or more Group 1 winners,” said Blake. “Thankfully the riding fees are uniform and the vastly improved prize money has bolstered winning percentages. I’m one of a number, simply doing my best.”
At his stage of life Blake is locked into a future as a professional jockey. He’s inspired by the fact that his father Dale rode professionally for almost four decades and posted an astonishing 3000 winners. “It’s unlikely I’ll make forty years in the game but I’ll have to stick around for a while yet. It’s a bit late to be having another crack at my old 1500m record in track and field.”
A Warwick Farm win for the late Mick Hood on Al's Gold 2012 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Blake's body language gave it away as he won the Gallipoli Cup on Prince Of Arragon - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)