Racing
Brewster trying her luck in Tasmania
A new name in the riding ranks for the Launceston and Hobart meetings this week-end with South Australian apprentice Polly Brewster trying her luck in Tasmania.
On the recommendation from her boss Jessica Tzaferis, Polly Brewster will ride here Friday and Sunday with a view to making it a more regular occurrence.
With Lauryn Bingley having outridden her claim last week, and apprentice numbers thin on the ground, Brewster, a natural lightweight (51kg) with a 2kg claim could find herself with plenty of chances in Tasmania.
"I'm very lucky with the opportunity I have been given, its somewhere different to experience and my motto is the more experience the better for my career," Brewster said.
"I was talking to everyone through the NARS series and I thought it would be somewhere I would like to go and I was speaking to Georgie (Catania) and she said it would be a good idea after the carnival and experience something new and my boss Jessica Tzaferis did a little stint down there while she was an apprentice.
"Jess for many years was my mentor and I am blessed that she is now my boss.
"We will se how is goes this week-end, with the amount of jockeys around at the moment its hard everywhere to get opportunities so I think it's worthwhile to travel where the opportunities are.
Brewster has ridden 33 winners in her two years in the game, she will celebrate her 26th birthday in Tasmania this Saturday, after a late start as an apprentice following an outstanding career as a BMX racer.
"I had nothing really to do with racing until post covid. My aunty and uncle had shares in racehorses and they live in Naracoorte and during covid I was down there and Sue Jaensch one of the trainers asked if I wanted to have a crack at track riding and she pretty much taught me from scratch.
"I had ridden ponies and trail rides and stuff but I had never ridden a racehorse.
"I was pretty handy at BMX beforehand, I had to work pretty hard at BMX because obviously I was small and you need muscle to have the power to go fast and I could never be on the pro circuit because I was just too small, they like the bigger types and I was just never going to be that but it works as a jockey because I'm a natural lightweight and be strong at the same time so its worked out pretty good."
Brewster has picked up five rides at Friday nights Launceston meeting and will no doubt be in demand for the Sunday meeting in Hobart too.
It's the second last night meeting for the season, racing gets underway at 17.37 with the last of 8 races at 21.13 all the actin on Tasracing Live and Sky Thoroughbred Central.
Check out the latest South African News