Christmas comes early for young apprentice at Randwick
Five years ago, Jake Barrett turned up at Tulloch Lodge armed with determination and a dream, but zero experience with horses.
Fast forward to Randwick on Saturday and the 24-year-old apprentice celebrated his first metropolitan win aboard Belleistic Kids for training trio Barbara Joesph and her sons Paul and Matt Jones.
“I lobbed up on Gai Waterhouse’s doorstep about five years ago not knowing a single thing,” Barrett said.
“I had (fellow jockey) Quayde Krogh and my current manager Justin McIntosh, who took me under his wing.
“There were ups and downs, times where they didn’t think I was going to make it, I didn’t think I was going to make it.
“I just worked really hard and to do it here today, you have no idea how satisfying it is.”
As with most apprentices starting out, Barrett has honed his skills primarily on the country circuit, riding at some far-flung venues “around dirt tracks and tin sheds”.
Prior to Saturday, he had ridden 68 winners, 67 of those on country tracks and one at the provincials.
It is a hard slog and earlier this year, he admits questioning whether he would ever be able to forge a viable career path before the Joseph and Jones stable stepped in.
“I could give them all a big kiss right now,” Barrett said.
“They pulled me out of the dumps when I was at my lowest. I was probably going to give the game away and they gave me a new lease of life and said, ‘çome on Jake, move to Canberra and give it a really good crack. We can do this’.
“Only six months ago I was driving to Enngonia, staying the night at Bourke and eating Chinese food, so the fact I’m here today on the big stage and to do it for Paul, Matt and Barb, it just means the world to me.”
Paul Jones said he had expected Belleistic Kids to be competitive in the Doyle’s Breeding and Racing Handicap (1600m) after finishing runner-up to the smart Tavi Time in the Mudgee Cup last start.
He is keen to qualify the four-year-old for the 2024 Big Dance after the stable produced Super Helpful to run third in this year’s $3 million Melbourne Cup Day feature.
“He will have a couple of weeks off now and go to the Bega Cup probably second-up,” Paul Jones said.
“It is (a Big Dance qualifier) and that’s the main plan.”
More Racing News
War Machine to target the 2026 Australia Stakes
Top-class sprinter War Machine will resume in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Pakenham on Friday night as connections eye a strong autumn campaign. The race, traditionally held at Moonee Valley, has been moved due to redevelopment works and shapes as an ideal launchpad for the Lindsay Park galloper. War Machine...
Antino to target 2026 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the Autumn
A strong trial session at Deagon on Tuesday will be highlighted by the return of Antino as Tony Gollan begins plotting another autumn campaign for the talented gelding. Antino has not raced since his disappointing effort in the Group 1 Cox Plate, where he finished last after failing to fire on...
2026 Golden Slipper Stakes favourite Incognito nearing return to the races
The absence of Incognito from the Magic Millions 2YO Classic did little to dent his standing in Golden Slipper markets, with the colt edging closer to a raceday return. Michael Freedman elected to sidestep the Gold Coast feature with the $1 million purchase, instead opting for a controlled trial as the...
Torque To Be Sure breaks maiden in 2026 Magic Millions Guineas, survives protest
Torque To Be Sure finally lived up to his promise with a breakthrough victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, though his success came with a nervous wait in the stewards’ room. The Matthew Dunn-trained gelding drifted under pressure in the closing stages, bumping race favourite Ninja as the...
Unit Five powers home in the 2026 Magic Millions Classic
Unit Five announced himself as a rising star with a powerful victory in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, overcoming far more seasoned rivals despite limited race experience. The Ciaron Maher-trained colt, ridden confidently by Thomas Stockdale, held off Tornado Valley by a length, with By Choice finishing just behind...
Mile no issue for Merrigold in 2026 Vobis Gold Distaff
Trainer John Sadler admitted a touch of stubbornness delayed Merrigold’s step up to 1600 metres, but the mare made him look wise with a dominant Flemington victory. The five-year-old was having her first start beyond 1400 metres and handled the rise in distance with ease when taking out the Vobis Gold...
Big Sky surges into 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes calculations
Big Sky’s dominant debut at Flemington has propelled him straight into calculations for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), giving Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr the top two runners in early betting. The Bivouac colt overcame a wide draw in the TAB We’re On (1000m), travelling strongly under Jordan...
Future History too strong in the 2026 January Cup
Future History showed his class and toughness when landing the $200,000 Listed January Cup at Rosehill, giving Ciaron Maher another feature race success. The eight-year-old almost didn’t take his place in the race after heavy rain downgraded the track, but connections elected to press on despite concerns about the conditions. Ridden positively...
Golden Slipper Stakes 2026 plans for Godolphin’s Outspan
The Godolphin-trained Outspan has thrust himself into Golden Slipper calculations after a commanding win at Rosehill on Saturday. After settling just behind the speed in the 1100m contest, the Michael Freedman-trained colt finished strongly to defeat Long Throw ($15) by 1-1/2 lengths, with Miss Chanel ($4.60) another half-length back. The performance marked...
Tony Gollan’s two-year-old Itching To Go in 2026 Magic Millions Classic
Tony Gollan is leaning on a proven strategy as Itchintogo lines up on a seven-day backup in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) this Saturday. The approach has delivered strong results historically, with six winners of the $3 million race following the same path over the past 15 years. Purchased for $60,000...