Trish Dunell
The thoroughbred industry is mourning the loss of Grand National Steeplechase-winning jockey Cody Singer, who died on Tuesday.
The talented horseman successfully turned to jumps racing after weight issues and partnered Graeme Rogerson’s Cape Kinaveral to claim top honours in the 2012 Riccarton feature.
Other prestige victories included the 2010 Wellington Steeplechase aboard Brushman for Mark Oulaghan, the 2012 Waikato Hurdles on Borrack for Adrian Bull and on the Rudy Liefting-trained Just Got Home in the 2014 Wellington Hurdles.
Singer rode 36 winners during his career that started with Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett.
“I remember I saw him leading a yearling at a sale one day at Karaka, he was only 13 or 14 at the time, and I asked him if he rode and wanted to be a jockey – he said he did and that’s how it started,” Collett said.
“He was a good kid and was with us for five years. He went to school here when he first started his apprenticeship. He was about the same age as my oldest daughter Natasha, they all grew up as kids. It’s very sad.”
Singer, whose career as a jockey ended after a bad fall in 2014, was most recently riding work at Opaki and the respected huntsman for the Wairarapa Hunt. – NZ Racing Desk.