Amber Sims
Trish Dunell
Apprentice Amber Sims gets a good opportunity for a timely boost to her profile at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
The twenty-two-year-old has had to settle for a couple of placings from just nine rides in New Zealand, but she has kicked home five winners in Victoria.
She is currently on loan from Ballarat trainer Daniel Kelly to her mother, Pukekohe trainer Patsy Riley, and will ride stable runner Carnavalito and the Stephen Ralph trained Flying On Red at Te Aroha.
"I'm heading back to Melbourne next week and hope I can get an extension on the loan," said Sims. "I want to come back and ride here on a three-month loan during winter. I know Daniel will support it, but it has to be approved by Racing Victoria."
Sims began her apprenticeship with her mother and had one ride in New Zealand before heading to Victoria.
"I rode one for Kevin Myers at Taranaki and I then went over to Melbourne with some of Kevin's horses," she said. "I was originally apprenticed to Dan O'Sullivan then I transferred (to Daniel Kelly). It was really Kevin that got me in over there."
Sims rode mainly around the country meetings and established a good strike rate with three wins from her first 16 rides. Her best win came on the Patrick Payne trained Star Of Jeune at Warrnambool in January 2014.
"I stayed with the Payne family when I first got over there with Kevin's horses and Patrick and Andrew were a big help with my riding," said Sims. "It was a big thrill for me last year when Michelle (Payne) won the Melbourne Cup. They're all like family to me."
Sims was part of Racing Victoria's 2014 apprentice jockey training programme, but a hiccup with the intake caused a brief halt to her race riding.
"I had a break from riding for a year and in that time I had a few bad falls in trackwork," she said. "Since I've been back riding I've had a couple more wins, but it just got a bit quiet over there so I came home on loan."
Sims returned to Pukekohe last month, a week before she rode Carnavalito into second, a head behind Triaction at Te Rapa.
"I'd always been on to Mum how Carnavalito should be ridden and I was confident she would go well at Te Rapa," said Sims. "We just about got there."
The form from that Te Rapa race stacks up well as Triaction went on to finish third behind the exciting Snapshot and Watch This Space at Te Aroha, while third placegetter El Sagrado headed south and was a close second to Coulee in the Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes and was beaten two noses when third to Tommy Tucker in last weekend's Listed Easter Cup at Riccarton.
"I think she's a big chance at Te Aroha," said Sims. "She's raced well against some top horses. She was second to Hasselhoof at Ellerslie.
"I'd love to win on her for Doug Leonard, one of the owners. He's like part of our family. He picked her out at the sales and bought her for $1500 and he just loves her."
Leonard races Carnavalito with the estate of the late Dennis McClenaghan and Sims' mother, who has produced the Mr. Nancho mare to record two wins and eight placings.
Sims also has high hopes for Flying On Red, her other ride at Te Aroha. "She went a good race first-up at Te Awamutu for third and she should improve a lot with that," she said.
As much as Sims wants to win a race on Wednesday, she has an even bigger desire – to win at Ellerslie on Saturday, the day on which the Gr.1 Manco Easter Stakes is being run.
Sims was just six when her father, Rex Sims, died and his death came just a week after he trained Zayyad to win the 2000 Easter Handicap.
"That was Dad's biggest win and that's why the Easter means so much to me," said Sims. "I'd love to win a race on that day. I've got the ride on Arite Guru so I've got a chance." – NZ Racing Desk.
The twenty-two-year-old has had to settle for a couple of placings from just nine rides in New Zealand, but she has kicked home five winners in Victoria.
She is currently on loan from Ballarat trainer Daniel Kelly to her mother, Pukekohe trainer Patsy Riley, and will ride stable runner Carnavalito and the Stephen Ralph trained Flying On Red at Te Aroha.
"I'm heading back to Melbourne next week and hope I can get an extension on the loan," said Sims. "I want to come back and ride here on a three-month loan during winter. I know Daniel will support it, but it has to be approved by Racing Victoria."
Sims began her apprenticeship with her mother and had one ride in New Zealand before heading to Victoria.
"I rode one for Kevin Myers at Taranaki and I then went over to Melbourne with some of Kevin's horses," she said. "I was originally apprenticed to Dan O'Sullivan then I transferred (to Daniel Kelly). It was really Kevin that got me in over there."
Sims rode mainly around the country meetings and established a good strike rate with three wins from her first 16 rides. Her best win came on the Patrick Payne trained Star Of Jeune at Warrnambool in January 2014.
"I stayed with the Payne family when I first got over there with Kevin's horses and Patrick and Andrew were a big help with my riding," said Sims. "It was a big thrill for me last year when Michelle (Payne) won the Melbourne Cup. They're all like family to me."
Sims was part of Racing Victoria's 2014 apprentice jockey training programme, but a hiccup with the intake caused a brief halt to her race riding.
"I had a break from riding for a year and in that time I had a few bad falls in trackwork," she said. "Since I've been back riding I've had a couple more wins, but it just got a bit quiet over there so I came home on loan."
Sims returned to Pukekohe last month, a week before she rode Carnavalito into second, a head behind Triaction at Te Rapa.
"I'd always been on to Mum how Carnavalito should be ridden and I was confident she would go well at Te Rapa," said Sims. "We just about got there."
The form from that Te Rapa race stacks up well as Triaction went on to finish third behind the exciting Snapshot and Watch This Space at Te Aroha, while third placegetter El Sagrado headed south and was a close second to Coulee in the Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes and was beaten two noses when third to Tommy Tucker in last weekend's Listed Easter Cup at Riccarton.
"I think she's a big chance at Te Aroha," said Sims. "She's raced well against some top horses. She was second to Hasselhoof at Ellerslie.
"I'd love to win on her for Doug Leonard, one of the owners. He's like part of our family. He picked her out at the sales and bought her for $1500 and he just loves her."
Leonard races Carnavalito with the estate of the late Dennis McClenaghan and Sims' mother, who has produced the Mr. Nancho mare to record two wins and eight placings.
Sims also has high hopes for Flying On Red, her other ride at Te Aroha. "She went a good race first-up at Te Awamutu for third and she should improve a lot with that," she said.
As much as Sims wants to win a race on Wednesday, she has an even bigger desire – to win at Ellerslie on Saturday, the day on which the Gr.1 Manco Easter Stakes is being run.
Sims was just six when her father, Rex Sims, died and his death came just a week after he trained Zayyad to win the 2000 Easter Handicap.
"That was Dad's biggest win and that's why the Easter means so much to me," said Sims. "I'd love to win a race on that day. I've got the ride on Arite Guru so I've got a chance." – NZ Racing Desk.