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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Tenacity. The trait seems to be woven into the very fabric of every jockey. After all, they put their lives on the line every time they break out of a gate perched atop a 1,000 pounds of heaving horseflesh. It is also the very thing that propels them to the finish line, driving them to win. Emma-Jayne Wilson is the embodiment of tenacity, the thing that has driven her to the pinnacle of racing and in more challenging times, has helped her overcome adversity. Wilson, who returned to the saddle this past June after sustaining serious injuries last October, was sent back to the sidelines after a fall at Woodbine July 27, the third incident in less than a year. As a jockey, the physical challenges are pretty obvious, however, the psychological warfare following serious injury often defines the athlete. “Injuries for any athlete, be it human equine, be it jockey or basketball player, are a part of the sport that you compete in,” Wilson said. “It's how you manage them that is of utmost importance.” Rewind the tape. A glimpse into Wilson's past seems to offer a road map to the mental fortitude and discipline that have led her to become one of Canada's leading riders. Born in Brampton, Ontario, Wilson had notions of being a jockey, however, her parents had other ideas for their horse-crazed daughter. “For me and my parents, post-secondary education was an important part of life preparation. And, being a jockey was always in my mind, but it was never something that had come to fruition,” she recalled. “So the goal was to get to post-secondary education and make a decision from there.” While studying equine management at Kemptville College, part of the University of Guelph, fate intervened, presenting itself in the form of a Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame rider. “In between the two-year program that I was in, I had the opportunity through a friend of my mom's to meet with Sandy Hawley,” she recalled. “He connected me with a couple of trainers to give me a chance to try out being an exercise rider. So that was where my true racetrack journey began with that one phone call.” While the dream was given wings, it took some time for it to take flight. “School gave me a lot of a foundation that really was helpful for life as well. School's important, kids,” she opined. “The following season, when I finished school, my goal was to go where the horses went–start at a breeding farm and build from there. It gave my dream of being a jockey 100% focus.” Wilson rode her first race at Woodbine on Aug. 27, 2004, and the 20-year-old recorded her first win one day later with only her second career mount. An Eclipse Award-winning apprentice rider in 2005, she was also awarded Canada's Sovereign Award in 2005-06 in the same division. Victorious in the Queen's Plate in 2007 with Mike Fox, she became on the second female rider in Canada to reach the 1,000-win mark. On July 11, 2024, she attained a new high after winning the fourth race at Woodbine, becoming the all-time earning female rider, surpassing Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone. A head liner on the North American racing scene and one of Canada's most sought after riders last summer, it appeared that the world was her oyster. The wheel of fortune turned. Wilson faced one of the biggest challenges of her life last fall when her mount Ready Shakespeare went down in a race at Woodbine after suffering from cardiac arrest. “I suffered probably the worst injury I've experienced where I did some serious damage to my pelvis, as well as a fairly significant fracture to my neck,” she explained. “The recovery of that was extensive. I had to have surgical repair of my pelvis, and luckily, despite the severity of the neck fracture, immobilization and cautious treatment was what was required..it was successful.” Notably, the discipline and laser-focus that the 43-year-old had always relied on to scale the heights of racing was the very same tool that she leaned on in the difficult times. “It was a long seven and a half, eight months,” she admitted. “But the one thing that the doctor said to me post-surgery were two words that I held onto and it was 'full recovery.' And I took that day by day because that's all you can focus on.” Wilson made her long-awaited first start back at Woodbine on June 12. “There's good days and bad, but I knew that full recovery was something that I was going to achieve,” she said in retrospect. “And when I returned to racing at Woodbine, it meant a lot to get out there and ride some races. It meant a lot, but full recovery was achieved when I hit the wire first the first time and went into the winner's circle again to add to my tally, that was full recovery. It meant a lot.” Then, another curve ball. On Woodbine's July 4 card, Wilson's mount, Punkin Boy, unseated her before the first race. Treated and released from Sunnybrook Hospital within hours of her admittance, the rider remarkably avoided serious injury that day. Without missing a beat, Wilson was back again firing on all pistons, piloting Charles Fipke's Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready), trained by Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, to victory in Woodbine's GII Canadian Stakes on July 20. The pendulum swung once again. Suffering another setback, Wilson's mount went down after sustaining a catastrophic injury during a workout at Woodbine July 27. Not as lucky as her previous incident only a couple of weeks earlier, Wilson fractured her collarbone, necessitating more time away from the races. “With any athlete, injuries happen,” she said. “Unfortunately, I sustained a second serious enough injury where I needed to take time [following] a long, extensive hiatus.” Explaining her latest injury, she said, “[The injury is] pretty typical for most equestrians. You know, a clavicle fracture is pretty par for the course. This is the third time I've done this one, so whether severe or moderate, it's about the time and giving the time to properly recuperate.” She continued, “Short-term plan for this injury is like every other–one day at a time. Doctors give quite extensive and detailed restrictions in order to accelerate the healing, which in some ways seems a bit counterproductive as an athlete, because you want to get back up and show everybody how good you really are.” “Routine rest days are almost more important than the work [rehab] days so that's the focus and you take it one day at a time.” While not offering a specific time frame for her return, Wilson underscored that, when she does ultimately come back, she will be fit and ready for service. She said, “When I return, I can guarantee you that when I'm back in the saddle, you are getting the 100% Emma Jane Wilson ride that you count on.” The 'Other' 4-Letter Words Sitting down with Wilson seemed to offer an intensive course into the psychology of jockeys. What drives them? How do they overcome challenges? Do they experience fear like the rest of us mere mortals? “Fear in horse racing is real,” she said. “But I like to pretend that fear, for me, is my superpower. It makes me 10 times stronger. It makes 10 times faster. It makes my reaction proper. I assess the situation even better. So I embrace fear for what it's worth in terms of its benefit.” She continued, “If you're deer in the headlights scared, you're not gonna make it. But if you can take that reality and know what the risks are–help them to enable you to be bigger, badder, stronger. I have Spider-Man costume and I tell my kids my superpower is like SpiderMan's Spidey sense.” The prospect of injury can also bring to the forefront another four-letter trigger word for most professional athletes–pain. Wilson explains that it often comes down to a matter of perspective. “Key things that helped me understand, do better, was we changed the word that we use for pain,” she said. “I think, to jocks it's different. [Pain] is acute, there's a sharpness. Whereas discomfort is different. I think that's what doctors and nurses are looking for, because there's a different level of management that needs to be obtained.” She continued, “Once I acknowledge discomfort, I'm okay. If we change that and I say, what's my level of discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10? My pain is a two, but my discomfort is a six or an eight–I'm uncomfortable. Okay, we can manage that a little differently. So when you say pain tolerance, I think it's how it's perceived. Same as fear. There's a way to embrace it and make it useful and get over it.” On the mend and looking forward to her latest return to the saddle, Wilson's journey has been anything but easy. And after a brief meeting with the rider, it was very clear that the prospect of hanging up her boots doesn't appear to be an option right now. “I think when you're sitting, especially in a hospital bed, unable to weight bear as my injury with my pelvis and my neck had put me into such stoic behavior, you think through things,” she said. “But that's where full recovery isn't just about the physical, full recovery is about the mental. So to sit and make decisions about the future in such a way when you are still recovering, I think is unfair to yourself.” “[The goal is to] get back to being yourself, who you are as an athlete. For me, it was [returning to] full recovery capabilities and then consider those potential options. Until full recovery was achieved, those options weren't even in my brain.” So, what is in that razor-sharp brain right now? “It was about who's going to win the first race and how can I get on that horse?” Maybe a Wonder Woman costume should also be thrown into the rotation. The post Tenacious Emma-Jayne Wilson Poised for Next Comeback appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
So why is it that we are not able to access the NZ TAB website? -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
What Wagga Races Where Murrumbidgee Turf Club – Travers St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 When Thursday, August 28, 2025 First Race 1:05pm AEST Visit Dabble Best Bet at Wagga: Magnucat Now with Luke Pepper, the form of Magnucat through late summer reads well for this: a Canterbury BM64 third (1250m) and a Kembla Grange BM64 second (1400m) before contesting stronger Sydney company. She’s trialled up and returns to a country BM64 with Jean Van Overmeire booked and 58.5kg. The wide gate (15) should be an asset if they’re fanning by the last; expect her to blend in three wide with cover and produce a sustained run from the 500m. With any tempo up front, Magnucat will blouse them late. Best Bet Race 8 – #2 Magnucat (15) 5yo Mare | T: Luke Pepper | J: Jean Van Overmeire (58.5kg) Next Best at Wagga: Region Time Region Time brings the right recent platform for a country BM58 mile and draws to stalk the speed from gate five. The six-year-old mare has been knocking on the door at this grade and was rewarded at Albury on August 19, finishing off strongly to win a 1500m Heavy 8 BM58 following a solid third at Murwillumbah over 1660m on August 5. Back to 1600m suits, and her soft/heavy record reads well for any give in the ground. With Jack Martin taking over at 59.5kg, she maps midfield-with-cover and should be strongest late. Next Best Race 5 – #3 Region Time (5) 6yo Mare | T: Gratz Vella | J: Jack Martin (59.5kg) Best Value at Wagga: Cassimir Cassimir is humming along and strikes a very winnable 1000m BM58 with a handy 3kg claim. The Tumbarumba sprinter comes here off back-to-back wins, both ridden positively and running time. He returns to a provincial BM58, but the claim gets him in at 59kg and his 1000m record (11:3-2-0) stacks up. From barrier 12 he has the speed to offset the draw and land on-pace or outside the lead. If he begins cleanly, he can pinch a break and prove hard to run down late at a price with horse racing bookmakers. Next Best Race 6 – #2 Cassimir (12) 6yo Gelding | T: Mont Waters | J: Jordan Quince (a3) (62kg) Wagga quaddie tips – 28/8/2025 Wagga quadrella selections Thursday, August 28, 2025 2-4-9 15 1-2-8-10-12 1-5-8-10-11-13-14 Horse racing tips View the full article -
It’s not due to any policy brought in by TAB or Entain. -
Still odd that the noms aren't available anywhere as far as I can see, ove 24 hours after they closed. That's the NZCup as well and the Group 3 Mile on the middle day whatever that is now called.
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