By KATH GANNAWAY
THE winning smile said it all as veteran jockey Debbie Waymouth accepted the Healesville Cup on Saturday.
Ms Waymouth rode the perfect race on a soft track with four-year-old Tearaway Tommy leading all the way to come home with a convincing win ahead of Royal Mail and Vertigo to pay $4.25.
The horse is owned by Ms Waymouth and daughter and trainer Rebecca Waymouth.
The race went to Tommy’s plan according to Ms Waymouth, who has been riding as an amateur jockey for more than 40 years.
“Tommy always leads; you can’t hold him up, he just goes out and does his own thing and he led all the way,” she said.
The win was a crowd pleaser and there’s no doubt a big part of that was admiration and respect for Ms Waymouth who is among the determined and talented group who paved the way for women jockeys in a fiercely defended male-dominated sport.
With her father and two brothers successful players in the industry, she says it was in her blood to ride – and to ride competitively.
She got her permit when she was 17.
“You weren’t allowed to be paid back then. Women were not professional jockeys until around 25 years ago and they were only allowed to ride in one race per meeting called the ladies’ bracelet,” Ms Waymouth said.
“And, you weren’t allowed to ride against the men.”
The thrill of riding and a training regime that would test jockeys half her age keeps her in the saddle.
“I ride between two and 14 horses each morning and certainly don’t feel 59,” she told the Mail.
“I think I’m riding as good as I was 20 years ago.
“I love the horses, the thrill of it and the achievements. There’s no better feeling than to ride a winner, and to see the horses like Tommy, who was a bit wayward, progress and come through as he has is a great feeling.”
Winning the Healesville Cup was one of those thrills.
“The Cup is the biggest race on a club’s calendar and we were rapt to win the Healesville Cup today,” she said.
The next race meetings at Healesville are on 31 January and 28 March, and, on past performance, it will be worth keeping an eye out for the Waymouth stable entries.
