Industry Mentors: Lizzie Jelfs

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Lizzie Jelfs is the eyes and ears of Sydney’s premier racecourses and her pre-race mounting yard comments are gold to punters across Australia with her selections, whatever the price, regularly influencing betting trends.

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Jelfs plays a major role in Sky Thoroughbred Central’s coverage of Sydney racing and her extensive hands-on thoroughbred experience, combined with exhaustive form research, has earned her a countrywide following.

Originally from Oxford in England, she enjoyed the early support of parents Richard and Marie when her interest in horses was first piqued and subsequently when she made the bold decision to travel to Australia.

Jelfs had intended that first trip to be a temporary stay to glean as much knowledge as possible, but it morphed into a lengthy stint with the Hayes family’s Lindsay Park where her life and career was transformed under the wing of long-time employee Gary Fennessy.

But back to earlier times in England, and a casual day out at a tender age was the spark for what has now become her passion.

“My parents were interested in horses, but I think that I drove that interest. I had a pony ride one day at a fair with my nanny and that’s how it all started,” Jelfs said.

“Since I rode that pony, I was absolutely obsessed. I begged my parents for riding lessons, begged them for a horse and eventually I got them.

“They have always supported me in whatever I wanted to do and as long as I was happy. They have always installed in me to work hard and be a good, genuine person.”

Jelfs also came into contact then with a youngster who is now firmly established among Sydney’s leading riders.

“I went to pony club with Rachel King’s cousin and Rachel was in the same pony club as me, but she was three years younger,” she said.

“I was always a massive lover of horses, but not so much racing. I went through the pony club years and did eventing and show jumping and all of the things that little girls love doing. I never wanted to give it away, but I could never see a career with horses in any way.

“When I went to see a career coach, they said what do you love doing and I said I love horses, but I know that can’t be my career.

“They mentioned why don’t you look up what careers you could have, maybe a vet or something like that.”

Taking stock of options

So as a 15-year-old, Jelfs explored all her options and landed her first job, but any thoughts of life as a jockey were ironically quashed as she was considered too small.

“I went away and looked up vets and then I thought why not go and work in a racing stable. That’s how it all started and I was employed by a guy called Charlie Egerton at Lambourn.

“He was a really successful dual-purpose trainer with a small boutique stable. He doesn’t train any more, but he gave me my first job in racing.”

Jelfs rode work, but Egerton discouraged her from pursuing an apprenticeship - at that time it was tough for female jockeys, hence King’s decision to later move to Australia – and four years later she followed.

“Charlie was instrumental in linking me up with the Hayes family, he was a very good friend of Colin Hayes. That’s how I ended up going out to Lindsay Park when I was 19,” she said.

Jelfs had no thoughts at that stage of the trip having a permanent outcome and it was at her mum’s insistence that she saw her time out.

“I saw it as a short-term thing, coming for the experience and maybe a 12-month working holiday. Once I got here, I liked the work, but I was terribly homesick for a long time,” she said.

“My mum kept saying to me, 'no, you said you would do 12 months and you have to follow it through' and I did. I got a few opportunities travelling horses all over Australia and that’s why I ended up staying really.”

It was during this time that she blossomed under the tutelage of Fennessy, who joined the late Colin Hayes’ training operation, then in South Australia, in 1967 and is now the assistant trainer at Flemington.

“My biggest mentor in racing has been Gary Fennessy. He basically taught me the majority of everything that I know really,” Jelfs said.

“I owe a lot to him and to the Hayes family for the opportunities they afforded me. Gary was the one who was always there. I travelled with him to Japan with Fields Of Omagh and went to Hong Kong and all around Australia with him. If I ever had anything to ask, he would guide me.

“Even over the phone, I could say a horse is doing this and that and we would get to the bottom of it. He is just the most incredible horseman that I have ever come across.”

Fork in the road

An intended 12-month stay at Lindsay Park closed in on nearly two decades before family life caused Jelfs to re-evaluate.

“I was there for 17 years, Lindsay Park was great and David was amazing. He is such a great guy and his wife Prue is lovely,” she said.

“David is obviously a great horseman and Gary was a great mentor, the best I've met since I’ve been in Australia.

“It was David who got me the job in the media. I had my second daughter Zara and was thinking what am I going to do and, to be honest, was nearly lost to the industry.

“I didn’t know where I wanted to go and didn’t want to train. I was thinking of leaving racing and David mentioned to me why don’t you go into the media and said Racing.com was looking for someone.

“He said I would be great and know horses inside out so he put me forward for the job and I got it.”

Jelfs enjoyed the change and quickly took to life in the media ranks.

“The people at Racing.com were amazing and Todd Gutsche and Nick Lovett were very nurturing and Jason Richardson, of course, was a massive help. They were very good mentors when I first started in the media side of the business,” she said.

She was at Racing.com for 18 months before joining Sky Racing four years ago.

“When I first started there Tony Brassell helped me with the form and he was great. David Gately and Ron Dufficy were amazing and also helped me along the way,” Jelfs said.

Jelfs revels in her centre stage role and the background work necessary to be fully prepped for a day at the races.

“You have to put a lot of work in and you look at the noms and then the fields come out. You compile information and look back on the notes from the previous week and the biggest thing in what I’m doing is confidence,” she said.

“Sometimes you’re going to be right and sometimes you’re going to be wrong. You have to stick to the tried and true and not worry about it when you do get it wrong.

“I review the races on a Saturday night as I work on Sunday morning and then I’ll listen to bits and pieces and podcasts.

“It’s not only Australia, I love racing all around the world. It’s just part of my life and continues all the way through.

“People say do you lock yourself away, but it’s not like that and you compile so much information to retain. You speak to people and in my role you have to love what you do and I am very fortunate.”

Jelfs’ background has been instrumental in her broadcasting success with her Lindsay Park experience earning respect from everyone she comes into contact with when on mounting yard and post-race duty.

“People think it’s been a quick transition into the media, but I’ve been working with the stakeholders – the trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders – for the last 20 years or so,” she said.

“I have built up a rapport with them outside of the media so I’m fortunate that when I do talk to them in the job they are so open and happy to talk and I understand where they are coming from. It’s a dream job for me, I’m very lucky.”