Clint Lundholm stands 182 cm and weighs in at 80kgs, but continues to ride regular trackwork at Dubbo. It’s hard to believe the same bloke was a professional jockey for close to three years in which time he posted 218 wins including a handful of country Cup successes. An eighteen month stint followed in the amateur ranks before he finally followed the family tradition of training racehorses. In just thirteen years in the role, Cint has posted 1012 wins and has a NSW country trainer’s premiership on his CV. At one stage his team grew to almost fifty horses, creating an unmanageable workload. Today he rarely has more than twenty in work and is thoroughly enjoying the job. Clint joins us on the podcast and begins by talking about his frenetic 2022/2023 season. He says the results were gratifying but the toll was high.

He takes us right back to early days in Coonamble under the tutelage of his grandfather, legendary country trainer John Lundholm Snr.

Clint reflects on the lessons learned from the elder Lundholm.

He reflects on the stories he heard about his grandfather’s association with champion country jockey Dennis Firth.

The trainer looks back on his first day as a professional jockey when he had five rides at a Nyngan meeting. Clint hasn’t forgotten the thrill of his first winning ride.

He looks back on a three month loan out to Gai Waterhouse at Randwick. He recalls being gobsmacked by the enormity of the Tulloch Lodge operation.

Unable to adapt to city life, Clint says he returned to the bush to finish his apprenticeship with a new boss.

Lundholm understands why people are surprised to learn he was once a professional jockey.

He pays tribute to the horse he regards as the best he rode in his short time in the saddle.

Clint looks back on a very happy eighteen months in the amateur riding ranks.

He remembers the commencement of his solo training career and his father’s decision to join the team.

Clint was chuffed to join the ranks of trainers who were able to win with their very first starter.

He’s not a regular in the city but is thrilled to have a couple of TAB Highway winners on the board.

Clint is adamant that Listen To the Band is the best horse he’s trained to date.

He talks of the talented but injury plagued Quasimoto who’ll shortly return to work.

Clint says he had a lot of fun with ten time winner Any Blinkin’ Day.

The trainer speaks of former metropolitan galloper Notabadidea who won a country Cups tre le after entering his stable.

He acknowledges the support he’s had from a select group of prominent western districts jockeys with a special shout out to his partner Zoe Hunt who’s been in top form of late.

This is a nice chat with a …year old who was destined to forge a career in the racing game.

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.