Racing’s best judges were predicting a big future for Braith Nock long before he ever rode in a race. How right they were! The third generation jockey won at his first ever race ride, and hasn’t stopped riding winners since. Braith made a huge statement last season when he became champion Sydney apprentice with 40 metropolitan winners. The quietly spoken twenty four year old honed his balance with several years as a bull rider, before taking up an apprenticeship under the watchful eye of Brett Cavanough. There are many other things Braith would rather be doing than recording interviews, but he kindly consented to join us this week on the podcast. He talks about his punishing recent schedule.

Braith is delighted to have the support of his former master Brett Cavanough.

He explains the recent addition of his trademark moustache.

The young jockey takes us back to his bull riding years and the serious accident that stopped him in his tracks.

Braith remembers the thrill of winning at his very first race ride.

He says he enjoyed a three month stint with top Randwick trainer Peter Snowden despite a bout of homesickness.

Braith looks at some of his favourite city winners including a trio of mares from the Maher stable.

He looks back on a healthy number of doubles and trebles, and one spectacular four timer at Gilgandra.

The young jockey speaks of the thrill of riding a Wellington Boot winner.

Braith speaks of Brett Cavanough’s recently formulated training partnership with daughter Georgie.

He’s thrilled to report his elder sister Dana is also apprenticed to Brett Cavanough.

Braith pays tribute to his trainer/Mum Jane Clement.

He says he was beginning to think he’d never ride a winner for his mother. It finally happened at Kempsey.

Braith talks of his passion for fishing.

Mitchell Bell is one of several Sydney based jockeys who regularly ply their trade on outside tracks. His manager Shaun Flaherty makes a point of committing Mitch to race meetings no further than three hours from his Windsor home. The hard working jockey is a regular at places like Scone, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Goulburn, Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee. Mitchell’s unwavering reliability has seen him build a strong support base among a wide range of trainers. The jockey says he’s learned to handle the tedium of constant travel.

Mitchell talks about the two hip replacement surgeries he’s been forced to undergo in recent years.

He says he never knew his grandfather Billy Bell who was a successful Sydney jockey in the 60’s and 70’s.

Mitchell pays tribute to his father Steve who had a jockey’s build but opted to pursue a career as a professional boxer- a career that led him to an Australian flyweight crown.

Mitchell says his riding plans could have been thwarted when he was involved in a freak gymnasium accident at age 13.

He looks back on his amazing recovery from serious hand injuries and early riding education at an Ingleburn riding school.

The 40 year old talks about his apprenticeship to Tamworth trainer Mark Mason and an inauspicious first ride at Quirindi.

He pays tribute to a former leading country jockey who became his tutor in Tamworth track gallops.

Mitch hasn’t forgotten the thrill of landing his first winner.

He remembers the most minor detail about his initial metropolitan win on the historic stretches of Royal Randwick.

The jockey acknowledges the first notable horse he got to ride after returning to Sydney as a fully fledged rider.

Mitch plays tribute to the talented Artlee who gave him success in the Wild Card and Final of the 2015 Country Championship.

He says Artlee was also the centrepiece of one of his biggest racing disappointments.

Bell talks of a successful association with the Waller stable on outside tracks. He recalls a Newcastle win on Youngstar immediately before the filly went to Brisbane to win two important races.

He rates another Waller trained horse as one of the best he’s ridden. Mitch looks back on a black type Hawkesbury win on Cellarman.

He talks about the strong association he’s forged with Peter Snowden and a recent Newcastle treble for the stable.

Mitchell speaks fondly of a strong association with legendary horseman Ron Quinton.

He acknowledges the support of several other prominent stables.

Mitch says he was greatly influenced by two special role models in the early part of his career.

He doesn’t take for granted the luxury he enjoys in being able to maintain a weight of 53kgs.

The much travelled jockey says he’s sometimes tempted by offers to ride in the city but is reluctant to inconvenience established country and provincial supporters.

The 40 year old speaks fondly of wife Hollie and children Harper, Billy and Tayla.

This is a nice chat with an ever reliable jockey who prefers to ‘hit the highway” in his quest for winners.

It’s a great pleasure to welcome to the podcast former jockey Alan Cowie, currently one of Australia’s best known jockey managers. If you call him Alan you’ll be lucky to get a response- if you call him Pup you’ll get an instant reaction. That’s the nickname given him by a friend in Rockhampton many years ago, a nickname he’s been unable to shake over several decades.

Alan Cowie had 760 winners and a Gold Coast premiership under his belt when he was involved in a three horse fall on the first turn in a fillies and mares race on Magic Millions day 2002. He was in a bad way by the time he arrived at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital where his impending paraplegia was diagnosed.

Pup’s acceptance of his fate and an amazing ongoing attitude have become legendary in Queensland racing. He graciously accepted our invitation to join us on the podcast, and was happy to revisit the highs and lows of his life so far. Alan says he was always going to stay in the racing game after a long and trying rehabilitation.

He talks about the demands of modern day jockey management.

Alan acknowledges the talents of the three jockeys under his management at the moment.

He looks back on some of the fine riders he’s managed since commencing operations more than twenty years ago.

Life in a wheelchair isn’t without its hazards. Alan talks about a freakish recent accident which left him with a broken femur.

He says regular exercise is of paramount importance in keeping ahead of his problems. He continues to play golf thanks to the wonders of technology.

Pup takes us back to early days in his hometown of Rockhampton, and talks of three other jockeys in his family background.

He talks of his original apprenticeship to a rural Queensland trainer who was reluctant to use up his weight claims too quickly.

Alan’s famous nickname of “Pup” was bestowed upon him by an older friend in Rockhampton.

He hasn’t forgotten the influence of two legendary jockeys who won multiple Rockhampton premierships between them.

Pup remembers two great bush horses who got him up and running in the local riding ranks.

He says a well known stipendiary steward instigated his transfer to Sydney trainer Jack Denham.

Alan looks back on an exciting twelve months in the famous Denham stable at Rosehill.

He has a soft spot for one consistent Denham trained horse he got to ride.

Alan looks back on the eighteen months he spent at Rosehill after the termination of his apprenticeship. He enjoyed a great trot with the late Ray Guy.

He finally headed home with the opportunity of a regular riding job with Brisbane trainer Colin O’Neill. An amazing twist of fate changed all of that.

Alan looks back on his valuable stint with master trainer Jim Griffiths.

He hasn’t forgotten the winning run he had with the Toby Edmonds trained Chappel Dancer. He travelled with the horse to several country Cup carnivals.

We set aside ample time for Alan’s review of his exciting association with Kinjite, a horse he rode in 22 races. He says Kinjite was the best horse he rode by a country mile.

Alan looks back on several feature wins on Kinjite and the thrill of riding him in some famous Melbourne features.

He remembers the disappointment of losing the ride to champion jockey Mick Dittman. Alan talks of sons Jarrod and Dylan.

He remembers the torturous eight year wait for legal proceedings to be sorted out following his accident.

It’s an entertaining chat with an inspirational human being.