Eighteen year old apprentice Jett Newman had a huge number of trial rides before being signed up by northern rivers trainer Matt Dunn. She debuted in February 2025 with two rides for her boss at a Murwillumbah meeting. The first one ran second, the other Without Parallel led all the way to win. The gifted young jockey hasn’t stopped riding winners since. She brought up the century when Tomba stormed home from a rearward position to win a 3&4YO event at Doomben on March 28th. In January Jett made a huge impact when she had two rides for two wins at a Rosehill Gardens meeting. Both horses were trained by Matt Dunn who’s since kept her away from metropolitan tracks. He wants to preserve her provincial and metro claims for a little longer. Jett TALKS ABOUT HER SPECIAL DAY AT DOOMBEN

She hasn’t had time to reflect on the achievement because she’s been riding all over the place ever since. The apprentice talks about two more wins to come her way at Grafton and on the Gold Coast.

Jett explains that she and her mother Debbie travel daily from Tweed Heads to fulfil commitments for the Dunn stable at Murwillumbah.

She talks about the training talents of Matthew Dunn and the huge team of horses he has in work.

The young jockey says only a handful of trainers use the excellent facilities at Murwillumbah.

Jett recalls her exciting day at Rosehill in January when she had two rides for two wins. She was supported on the day by a strong family cheer squad.

She talks of the tutelage and support offered by her father Mitch Newman, a former successful jockey whose career was thwarted by ongoing weight problems.

Jett says her mother Debbie didn’t pursue an aspiration to become a jockey but continues to enjoy her role as an in demand trackwork rider.

The eighteen year old looks back on early days in pony club and a transition to the show ring. She gives a shout out to two older sisters.

She fondly remembers the first phase of her apprenticeship to former jockey Claire Lever at Hawkesbury. Claire’s husband Chad was also a valued tutor.

Jett recalls her exciting first day at the races as a professional jockey. She had two rides at Murwillumbah- the first one Torque of Dreams ran second, two races later she led all the way to win on Without Parallel.

She talks about a handy bush horse who gave her a hat trick of wins on the Ipswich track.

Jett says she’s been inspired by high profile female jockeys Rachel King and Jamie Melham who between them struck the Doncaster/Derby double at Randwick on April 4th.

The jockey is aware she enjoys a rare luxury in being able to ride at a featherweight.

I’ve had several emails requesting a podcast with Gratz Vella in the wake of his thrilling third placing in the TAB Golden Slipper with Music Time. The Maltese born trainer drifted into the racing game by pure chance and has held a licence for more than three decades. He’s enjoyed a notable measure of success from his Canberra base and is widely respected by all sections of the industry. Gratz secured Music Time for just $45,000 at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale and soon discovered that he’d bought a very promising young horse for long established clients. Music Time probably cost himself a win at his first start but quickly made amends with a hat trick, culminating in the Black Opal on his home track. The Gratz Vella story is one that needs to be acknowledged on our podcast.

The trainer says he’ll be pinching himself for quite a while yet.

Gratz says he asked his jockey Pierre Boudvillain to ride Music Time as close as possible without overdoing it.

He explains the reason why the gelding got a little bit lost in the closing stages.

The trainer acknowledges the support of six owners, some of whom have had horses with him for many years.

Gratz goes back to the Inglis Classic Sale of 2023. He recalls being “blown out of the water” on a few early lots, and says his confidence had been dimmed by the time a certain All Too Hard colt came into the ring.

He believes the youngster’s immature appearance put a few buyers off.

Gratz says the All Too Hard colt quickly signalled his talent. He was given a nickname in his first preparation.

The trainer says his Golden Slipper placegetter has already developed one unlikely taste.

Vella says he wasn’t tempted to run him again this preparation.

Gratz discusses his burgeoning partnership with French born jockey Pierre Boudvillain, currently one of the most talked about riders in the nation.

The Canberra horseman takes us back twenty years to his first Golden Slipper start with a $300.00 “pop”.

Gratz talks about his late father’s arrival in Australia sixty years ago. Michael Vella found a job in Canberra and a suitable house before bringing his wife and eight children to a new land.

The trainer pays tribute to his remarkable mother who died only recently at 95 years of age.

Gratz Vella’s business acumen was on display at an early age. He, two brothers and a handful of mates collected horse manure from a nearby pony club and carted it around the district in home made billy carts. When the concept became popular with backyard gardeners, the boys investigated bolstering supplies from Canberra racing stables. Gratz says his love affair with thoroughbreds began there and then.

He says Robbie O’Sullivan was the trainer to teach him the basics of horse management and would later encourage him to take out his own licence.

Gratz says he kicked off at amateur meetings but quickly made up his mind to progress to the professional ranks.

He explains the derivation of his rather curious christian name.

Gratz talks of the amazing offer he received from highly successful Canberra trainer John Morrisey. He was destined to stay with Morrisey for twenty years during which time he had the opportunity to prepare a small team of his own.

He says Morrisey’s later move to the Gold Coast prompted his decision to go it alone.

Gratz looks back on the horses to help him along the way. He’s got a story or two about a few stable favourites.

His story about the acquisition of his current stable colours is a very entertaining one.

He talks of his Aussie born kids and the five grandchildren who’ve come along in recent years.

It’s a laid back chat with the kid from the historic township of Zabbar in Malta’s port region. He’s a highly respected and universally liked member of the Canberra training ranks and has no intention of leaving the city adopted by his father six decades ago.

Kris Lees was thirty three years old when his father Max passed away in 2003. He’d been training a handful of horses in his own right while working as stable foreman for his very respected trainer/dad. He was left reeling when a sudden illness claimed Max’s life at just 63 years of age. Kris made the instant decision to carry on where the multiple Gr 1 trainer had left off. The team totalled 50 horses and Kris was humbled to learn that almost every existing client had decided to leave their horses exactly where they were. Twenty three years on Kris has established a stellar training record and boasts some amazing season by season statistics. It’s seven years since Lees Jnr has been a guest on this podcast and it’s high time we invited him back.

The trainer says very few call him by his birth name of Kristen.

He talks about his horse numbers at Newcastle and on the Gold Coast with acknowledgement of the people who look after his Queensland operation.

Kris is justifiably proud of his training stats over more than two decades.

He takes us back to early days when he went to work for his father after getting an exemption from school. He talks of an ambition to be a bookmaker and his friendship with neighbour Ray Wallace, one of Newcastle’s most astute trainers.

Kris looks back on his decision to train a few horses in his own name while working for his father.

He remembers Max’s sudden illness and a premature passing that would deeply sadden the racing world.

Lees Jnr speaks with great affection of the “iron gelding” County Tyrone who provided his first Gr 1 win. By an eerie coincidence the horse had been Max Lees’ final Gr 1 winner.

He looks back on the privilege of being given a $1.5 million dollar filly very early in his training career. Kris would win seven races including three Gr 1’s with the star filly Samantha Miss. He talks of the mare’s subsequent stud career and reviews the racetrack deeds of her six foals.

He looks back on the surprise phone call from NZ advising him that a hugely talented mare was on her way across the Tasman. He was horrified to see her fall in a race at Ellerslie before being sent to Australia. Lucia Valentina reached dizzy heights for her Aussie trainer.

Kris doesn’t hide his affection for the evergreen Le Romain whose 7 wins and 18 placings netted $4.3 million dollars.

The trainer pays tribute to Gr 1 winners like In Her Time, Sense Of Occasion, Vitesse Dane, Amokura, and Kalapour.

He talks of his winning associations with father-son jockeys Andrew and Dylan Gibbons.

Kris looks back on his extraordinary record in the Provincial Championship Series since its inception in 2015. He’s qualified a whopping 56 horses for 11 Finals for five winners and seven placegetters.

Kris says you don’t need a champion to accumulate mind boggling prize money. He talks of two big earning stable warriors.

The trainer talks about the gradual expansion of his Broadmeadow training base.

He discusses the importance of barrier trials in the modern racing world.

Kris talks about the selection of jockeys for his huge number of runners.

He pays tribute to wife Christie, daughter Emerson, and sons Marshall and Manning.

A laid back chat with one of Australia’s best horse trainers.