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Few get their careers off to the flying start that Jett Newman has, riding out her four kilo claim in her first 11 rides as an apprentice jockey. It is a big leap from winning a pony race on Australia Day three years ago, but it has been Newman’s goal her whole life.
It comes as no surprise that Newman has always wanted to take up the reins; her father Mitch Newman was a jockey who rose through the ranks at the turn of the century, spending much of his apprenticeship in the stables of Ron Quinton, where he worked alongside and against Hugh Bowman. Newman was champion Sydney apprentice in 1998/99 and 2000/01, while Bowman took the title for the season in between.
After struggles with weight ended his career in the saddle, the elder Newman turned his hand to training, saddling his first winner in 2005 and taking up the mantle full time in 2012. It was in his Hawkesbury base - then training out of the stables of champion jockey Malcolm Johnston - that his daughter created her earliest memories of horses.
Jett Newman showjumping | Image supplied
“When I was at (my dad’s) house, he would always be up early doing the horses and I would go down, just patting the horses, helping clean out boxes,” Jett Newman recalled. Not yet old enough for a trackwork license when her father ceased training in late 2020, Newman threw herself into showjumping and moved up from ponies to her first off-the-track thoroughbred when she was 12.
“She was such a good first horse to get me on to bigger horses, because I'd only ridden ponies at that point,” said Newman.
Launching with pony racing
Newman would still be pony-sized for a while, though, which was to her benefit when, three years ago, Lindy Maurice’s Thoroughbred Industry Careers launched Pony Racing with a grand final to take place at the Australia Day meeting at Warwick Farm. Newman knew she had to be involved
“We heard about it, and I said, ‘I definitely want to do that’,” Newman said. “I've always wanted to be a jockey. We had a few ponies then, so we signed me up, and that was the first series that I did. And we just went to the training day, and we got in.”
Jett Newman with Otis after winning the Australia Day pony race | Image supplied
Newman’s partner was her childhood pony Otis, who is “a bit quirky”. Proving himself the worthiest of athletes, the pair qualified for the final, where they donned the royal blue silks of Godolphin.
“They made it feel really special,” Newman recalled. “The media were there, it was really exciting for us.
“I knew I had a good chance, because Otis is very fast. But I think during the race, I had a better idea when he was halfway down the straight that he would blitz them.”
“I knew I had a good chance, because Otis is very fast. But I think during the race, I had a better idea when he was halfway down the straight that he would blitz them.” - Jett Newman
And blitz them Otis did - it was Newman’s first race win in the saddle. She couldn’t wait to replicate the result.
Getting the right start
When she turned 15, Newman was straight to the Racing NSW offices to get her trackwork license to start working on her ultimate goal. She was signed up with Claire Lever, the former jockey who took out her trainer’s license in 2020 in Hawkesbury, to learn the ropes of trackwork.
“She had good, safe horses for me to start on, so that was a good start,” Newman said. “They taught me everything, so it was a pretty good change.”
Newman benefitted enormously from the expertise of Lever and her partner, jockey Chad Lever. They made sure that she had a good grounding before she advanced to fastwork and beyond, and Newman proved to be a quick learner.
Jett Newman and Chad Lever riding trackwork | Image supplied
“I think I did my first jump-out two months after I started,” she said.
“Claire and Chad were both awesome because they were both jockeys. They were really helpful. They always put me first, and they gave me a lot of opportunities.”
The Levers were able to line Newman up with the trials she needed to get her license; they wanted her well prepared before she got to race day.
“Claire and Chad were both awesome because they were both jockeys. They were really helpful. They always put me first, and they gave me a lot of opportunities.” - Jett Newman
“I think I did close to 60 trials with Claire,” Newman said. “And then I did another 10 up here before my first race ride. We wanted to make sure I went to the races and I didn't look out of place.”
The Levers also organised for Newman to ride one day a week for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at Randwick; an added bonus to this was that, when she got to the races, Newman was already well-practiced at the post-gallop interview.
“They always did videos after their track gallops,” she said. “When I started, I was horrible. And you're like, ‘oh, what do I say?’ As soon as the camera came out, I would just say, ‘oh, yeah, it was good’. You just kind of freeze up.
“But I think I've got pretty good at it now. Between that and doing one after each trial, I think I was pretty ready for it at the races!”
Claire Lever
Heading north
At the beginning of the year, Newman was set to get her license to ride at the races, and the conversation turned to finding a trainer that could support the beginning of her career with the right horses. The metropolitan scene is competitive and difficult for a jockey starting out, so the Newmans looked to the country.
“When I was speaking to dad about it, we wanted to go somewhere in the country to start off,” Newman said. “Dad suggested Matt (Dunn), so I came up and tried out for him. He has just what I needed in a stable that could support me. He has a lot of horses, and I think it has been the perfect move.”
Matthew Dunn | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Newman made the permanent move to Matt Dunn’s Murwillumbah base soon after, with her mother coming with her for support and her father making regular trips to watch her races.
“They’re both very supportive,” Newman said. “Dad on the jockey side of things; he’s always giving me tips and helps going through my races, helping me do the form then going through them afterwards - criticising me!
“My mum’s definitely my biggest supporter. She does everything for and with me, she works at the track as well so she takes me.”
Starting with a bang
It was a family affair at Newman’s first race day, and, just as with pony racing, she started her career off with a winner; Without Parallel (Time Test {GB}) debuted at Murwillumbah at the beginning of February, with Newman on board to steer her to a 1.38l win.
“I had a good feeling that she was ready,” Newman said. When Dunn decided to pair Newman with the 3-year-old filly on race day, he started his apprentice riding her every day. “But I didn’t know I was going to win!”
Three weeks later, the pair partnered up again for victory at Lismore, flying home to win by 2.44l. By that point, Newman had already shed her four kilo claim, courtesy of a bumper day at Ballina in mid February where she rode four wins and a second from five rides on the card, at just her fourth race meet. It’s been an electric start to her career.
Newman aims to return to the Sydney riding ranks eventually, but she’s in no rush.
Without Parallel as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“In the future, I definitely would want to be a Sydney jockey,” she said. “That's the dream. But it’s early days.” At the rate of her current ascent, Newman will be back in town in no time.
