You wouldn’t expect a twenty eight year old jockey to have heard of a German playwright called Carl Zuckmayer let alone one of his better known quotes. It was Zuckmayer who said “one half of life is luck; the other half is discipline - and that’s the most important half, because without discipline you wouldn’t know what to do with luck.”
The jockey I’m talking about is Andrew Adkins, and Zuckmayer’s quote could have been written for him. Andrew has endured more bad luck in recent years than the combined misfortunes of any other six jockeys, but not for one moment has he thought of anything other than getting back on a horse as quickly as possible. The lanky horseman’s trademark resolve is being rewarded in spades just lately, and you’d be hard pressed to find anybody in Sydney racing who’s not pleased to see it.
Andrew Adkins is making the most of frequent opportunities at the Saturday metropolitan meetings - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Although he lives in the eastern suburbs and rides regular trackwork in town, “Andy” has focused his race riding on provincial tracks over the last couple of seasons. He’s a “go-to” jockey for metropolitan trainers who patronise the Newcastle and Kembla Saturday meetings, while local trainers frequently seek his services. Not surprisingly he’s posted sixty three wins and more than one hundred placings on NSW tracks so far this season.
With several leading Sydney jockeys absent during the recent Brisbane carnival, Andrew found himself with multiple city rides on consecutive Saturdays for quite some time. His ability to ride at the limit weight has obviously been a major factor. He rode in six of the ten races last Saturday and came away with two winners - his third metropolitan double in seven weeks. His first win came courtesy of a copybook ride on Pensativa in the TAB Highway. He had the three year old filly away quickly from the inside gate and enjoyed the most perfect of runs behind Smart Jazz and Shutter to the turn. He was able to angle around the heels of Smart Jazz as Shutter dropped off on straightening, and Pensativa quickly established a winning break. That break allowed the daughter of Impending to hold off the late closing Kranich with In Summer an eye catching third.
Andrew notches the first leg of his Randwick double on Pensativa in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Two races later Andrew renewed acquaintances with a horse he’s gotten to know very well of late. He rode King’s Secret for the first time in a Gosford maiden on Anzac Day and was rather taken with the gelding’s win over 1100m on a Soft 7 track. Conversely the jockey was stunned two weeks later when King’s Secret was out of a place behind Winning Proposal a BM72 at Rosehill, but quickly offered a legitimate excuse. “He has a history of pre-race nerves, and was at his worst at Rosehill,” said Andrew. “He sweated up badly and had run his race by the time he got to the gates.”
The astuteness of trainer Joe Pride was quickly on display. Aware that King’s Secret had become his own worst enemy when too fresh, Joe immediately stepped up the gelding’s work rate - not too much but enough to quell the “fizziness” of the promising three year old. The results were dramatic. He was on his best behaviour in beating Spywire in a BM72 at Rosehill on June 28th and repeated the dose on Saturday.
He probably could have led after a fast beginning in Saturday’s 1100m Petaluma Hcp, but was happy to cooperate when Andrew adroitly slotted into the one out one back spot. King’s Secret moved stylishly to join a line of leaders inside the 200m before drawing clear. He safely held Stardeel and Celerity to make it three wins from his last four, and give his jockey a double for the day. Joe Pride also notched his double when Aberlour led throughout to win the following race at Randwick with Alysha Collett on board.
King's Secret makes it three from his last four with an emphatic win in the Petaluma Hcp. Andrew has been on board for all three wins - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The gifted Warwick Farm trainer rounded off a unique treble later in the day when In Flight decimated a smart field in the Gr 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Joe chose to fly to Melbourne and could be clearly seen pumping the air as the talented mare went past the post with Craig Williams in the saddle. While on the subject of doubles it’s significant that King’s Secret and In Flight notched a brace of wins for Proven Thoroughbreds and two large syndicates put together by Jamie Walter.
Back to the in form Andrew Adkins who’s probably at sixes and sevens about his immediate future. Does he continue to concentrate on the Saturday metropolitan meetings, or does he look to regenerate his very successful situation at the Newcastle and Kembla meetings. He has great faith in the work ethic and judgement of manager Tilan Lee. “I really do tend to leave it to Tilan,’ says Andrew. ‘He’s very good at shaping a likely programme for me on Saturdays. He’ll sometimes tell me I can ride a winner or two at Kembla or Newcastle, so that’s where I go. Other times he might say he can get me four or five rides in town with the chance of a winner among them. I usually go his way unless there’s a horse I want to stick with for whatever reason.”
Following four major accidents within the space of fifteen months a few years ago, Andrew knew the only way back for him was hard work and plenty of it. Not once has he baulked at the task. He’s a fixture at Randwick every Tuesday morning where he rides a large number of horses for Peter Snowden, Michael Freedman and the O’Shea/Charlton yard. All three support him generously on race days. Andrew will make a flying visit to Grafton on Thursday where he’ll ride imported mare Quietness in the $200,000 Grafton Cup. A five time winner in the UK, Quietness has raced only twice in Australia for two placings, the most recent a strong second to Miss Joelene in the listed Tatt’s Gold Crown at Eagle Farm. Andrew won last year’s Ramornie Hcp on Ka Bling for the Snowden stable and would like nothing more than to complete the famous northern rivers double this year.
Andrew drives Ka Bling between horses to snatch victory in the 2024 Grafton Ramornie Hcp. - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Most Friday mornings you’ll find Andrew at Warwick Farm where he rides a power of work for the burgeoning Matthew Smith stable. On Saturdays regardless of where he’s riding on the day, he’s at Rosehill offering support to the Gerald Ryan/ Sterling Alexiou partnership. Ask any jockey and they’ll tell you the volume of barrier trials these days has become intense. “They just keep coming at you,” says Andrew.” As tough as it is, you’ve got to be there. There’s always a chance you might come across a horse of potential, it helps to keep you across the form of many horses, and importantly it’s good for your ongoing fitness levels.”
Among Andrew’s most cherished memories is the thrill of his only Gr 1 win to date on the Ron Quinton trained Daysee Doom in the 2018 Coolmore Classic, one of his nine wins on the daughter of Domesday. He hasn’t forgotten his Up And Coming Stakes win on Dracarys, and a Golden Gift on Dame Giselle. He holds near and dear a win in the 2016/2017 Sydney Apprentices premiership, a feat achieved by his former master Ron Quinton fifty years earlier. For the record it took Andrew Adkins six months and forty rides before his elusive first winner came up. That magic moment was provided by Red Almighty in a Cl 1 on his hometrack at Port Macquarie in April 2014 for trainer Beatrice Godbolt. As this story is posted Andrew’s not far off a career tally of 450 wins.
Andy's day of days! A Gr. 1 win on all time favourite Daysee Doom in the 2018 Coolmore Classic - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
For a bloke who’d hardly been off a horse’s back all week long you’d expect him to keep his feet on the ground when a raceless Sunday came along. When I called the hard working jockey on Sunday morning to talk about his Randwick double, I was stunned to learn that he was in Centennial Park helping partner Kimberley Keegan exercise her much loved ponies. “It’s not the same pressure as riding racehorses and I rather enjoy the experience,” said Andrew. “Kimberley and I have a heck of a lot in common. We both ride work for Michael Freedman, so there’s plenty to talk about over dinner at night.”
Andrew’s eternally grateful for the fact that he’s one of few jockeys who can even contemplate having dinner at night. At 170 cm he’s tall even by today’s changing standards, but by his own admission a “skinny” frame enables to enjoy the rare luxury of food. “I can ride at 52kgs any day of the week and can manage 50kgs in a major race if given enough notice,” he said. “Mind you I don’t go crazy with food. Steak, chicken, fish and plenty of fresh vegetables are my staple diet. I can honestly say I rarely have an unhealthy meal. I see jockeys doing it tough every time I go to the races. I never lose sight of the fact that I’m one of the lucky ones.”
Many of the dinners Andrew enjoys are the direct result of his regular fishing expeditions. He learned how to bait a hook in his early years at Port Macquarie and has never lost his passion for the angling pursuit. When time permits, he joins a few mates on a seven and a half metre inboard diesel fishing craft and tries his luck well beyond the Sydney Heads. “We stay out from dawn to dusk and rarely return without a huge catch of snapper, flathead, kingfish, reef fish, or tuna. Into the deep freeze goes my share of the catch and I really enjoy sampling some of it down the track. Most of all, the day out is a terrific break away from my usual routine. I won’t be giving it away anytime soon.”
With the Ramornie trophy at Grafton 2024 - a big thrill for a Port Macquarie boy! - courtesy Trackside Photography.
(Banner image - Pensativa made the most of her inside draw to win Saturday's TAB Highway from Kranich - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)