Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Jett Stanley moved back to his home state late last year to complete his apprenticeship with Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin, and he signed off his apprenticeship with 145 wins right across Australia. The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Stanley, to discuss his story and to reflect on Listed success on his last day as an apprentice.
Born into the game: Jett Stanley’s racing roots
With deep ties to racing on both sides of his family, it was almost inevitable that Jett Stanley would find his way into the industry. His father, Brent Stanley, made headlines as a teenage jockey when he won the 1996 Caulfield Cup aboard Arctic Scent (Blazing Sword), and as a trainer, and the racing thread runs just as strong through his mother’s side.
“I’ve always been part of the game. Dad (Brent Stanley) was a jockey turned trainer and my mum's dad (Terry Millard) was a trainer, everyone in my family was racing.” Stanley said.
Stanley’s earliest memories are shaped by time spent around the stables, picking up small tasks and forming the foundation of a lifelong passion.
“I have been around the stables since I was 5-years-old, I can recall as an 8-year-old during school holidays, I used to get paid 50 cents for cleaning out a box, and I was pretty keen on that, I did the work and saved up for a ping-pong table.”
“I have been around the stables since I was 5-years-old, I can recall as an 8-year-old during school holidays, I used to get paid 50 cents for cleaning out a box...” - Jett Stanley
A natural affinity with horses was evident from an early age — not just in racing, but in equestrian sports as well.
“I have just grown up around the horses, I loved it, was riding from ever since I can remember, I did the whole pony club thing and represented Australia in China for Show Jumping.”
Yet despite his clear inclination toward the track, Stanley’s mother Paris was initially hesitant about him pursuing a jockey’s career straight away.
The Stanley family | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Mum (Paris Stanley) was originally against it, with me becoming a jockey, and wanted to keep me at school, she made a list of things that I had to accomplish at school before I was allowed to leave. I picked all that up by the end of year 10, and she allowed me to go to West Australia to Alana and Grant Williams as a 16-year-old.”
That early move westward would be the start of Stanley’s professional journey — one built on discipline, passion, and a work ethic that began at 50 cents a box.
The Instructor delivers for Stanley in storybook finish
When The Instructor (Russian Revolution) won in dominant fashion at Moonee Valley on March 22, leading all the way with Jett Stanley aboard claiming 2kg, Stanley knew it was a horse he wanted to stay on.
When he learned that his trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott were targeting the Listed Hareeba Stakes next, he feared the ride might slip through his fingers.
“I had to convince Gai to have me on board,” Stanley said. “She doesn't put apprentices on in races they can't claim in, so I was resigned to the fact that I would lose the ride. I tried my best to stay on and was telling her I’m a senior the next day, so can I have a go, I’m pretty much a senior.
“I had to convince Gai to have me on board, she doesn't put apprentices on in races they can't claim in... I tried my best to stay on and was telling her I’m a senior the next day...” - Jett Stanley
“She thought about it and I was fortunate enough for her to agree to it.”
Stanley had already built a close association with the horse through trackwork and trials.
“I had won on the horse the start prior and I’ve been going into Gai’s to ride trackwork for a while and when he first came in, I’ve been able to do his whole preparation with jump outs, trials, gallops etc. It was very good to have that affiliation with Gai and Adrian, that horse and to get a result, and get the cash.
“It was a great way to finish it off, nice little story moment.”
Stanley’s persuasive efforts clearly paid off — and so did the trust placed in him. The Instructor dug deep in the straight to fend off a storming finish from favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}), with the photo finish showing a nail-biting 0.02l margin.
“I had no idea to be honest,” Stanley said. “I looked over to Declan (Declan Bates, rider of War Machine) and said did you swipe me on the line? I think so, he said, and I was gutted.
"Then I turned around and the camera was on me, and I found out I won, and saw my number on the board, I was just so relieved and happy, it meant a lot.
“There was a little bit of relief when he went over the line, because of all the time I have put into him, but I was more thankful to Gai and Adrian for giving me an opportunity on such a nice horse in the making.”
Learning from the best: A diverse apprenticeship journey
Unlike many young jockeys who stick to one stable throughout their early years, Jett Stanley has deliberately taken a different approach — spreading his time across a number of leading trainers and stables around the country in pursuit of a well-rounded education in the saddle.
Kicking off his apprenticeship at 16 under the guidance of Grant and Alana Williams in Perth, Stanley has since spent time honing his craft with some of the best in the business. That list includes Mitchell Beer, Peter Snowden, Annabel Neasham, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and more recently, finishing his time under Leon and Troy Corstens alongside Will Larkin in Victoria.
“All of them have different ways of doing things, and it really has opened up my eyes and given me a broader perspective and vision of how racing is, and how different it can be wherever you are.”
It’s a strategy that’s provided more than just riding knowledge — it’s introduced him to the unique culture and camaraderie that exists within the sport.
“The racing game is very close knit, everybody is out there trying to win, but if something happens, everyone cares for everyone.
Troy Corstens with a young Jett Stanley | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’ve met a lot of people along the way, some good, some bad, but mostly good and these people are friends for life.”
While moving around frequently might raise eyebrows for some, Stanley is quick to shut down any suggestion of instability — each move was part of a bigger plan to soak up as much experience as possible.
“To be able to work under a range of people has been beneficial, likes of Grant and Alana Williams, Troy, Leon and Will, Peter Snowden, Annabel Neasham, Mitch Beer.”
“To be able to work under a range of people has been beneficial, likes of Grant and Alana Williams, Troy, Leon and Will, Peter Snowden, Annabel Neasham, Mitch Beer.” - Jett Stanley
“It looks bad for some people, but for me, it wasn't that I didn't like it there or that something went wrong. I wanted to move around and get the most experience I could in a short time I was an apprentice.”
Having experienced life in stables across Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria, Stanley has developed an appreciation for how training methods and riding tactics vary across the country — and how that knowledge has helped fast-track his development.
Jett Stanley returning to scale aboard Trevello, his first winner | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“Absolutely, different states have a different way of doing things, different riding styles in a sense as well.”
“In Victoria, the races can be run more slowly and everyone does it at their own pace. Sydney, they get straight into a spot and don’t slacken the tempo as much. West Australia, you have to wait for inside runs a little more as you can’t just go right around them.
“It has helped pave the way for me to become a senior jockey, and now I'm a 20-year-old senior jockey.”
Big moments along the way
With 145 wins already under his belt, Stanley has packed a lot into his short time in the saddle — from Listed victories to special wins for family and mentors, and even the perfect finish to his apprenticeship.
“Obviously my first Listed win on Naval College in the Listed January Cup at Rosehill for Annabel (Annabel Neasham), and the Listed win on The Instructor were both big wins, but also my first winner for my dad on El Salto at Bendigo, and my first ever winner was at Ascot in a metro meeting on Trevello for Grant and Alana.”
El Salto was Jett Stanley's first win aboard a Brent Stanley-trained runner | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Each win has left its mark in different ways, but another standout memory came at Wangaratta, where he produced a four-win haul on a single race day — a feat not often achieved and even more meaningful given the local connections.
“A big moment was also winning four races at Wangaratta on a day and they were all for local trainers, that was a really big day.”
The quartet of victories came aboard Brick’n’wood (Cluster), Ruckman (O’Lonhro), Oamanikka (Oamaru Force), and Communication (Akeed Mofeed {GB}), solidifying Stanley’s place as an exciting young apprentice rider.
From milestone wins to deeply personal achievements, Stanley’s journey has already featured plenty of chapters worth revisiting — and at just 20 years old, there’s no doubt plenty more are still to be written.
Stepping up: The senior jockey chapter
The final stages of Jett Stanley’s apprenticeship have been shaped by some influential figures — none more so than Leon and Troy Corstens, and Will Larkin, whose support in recent months has helped smooth his transition into the senior ranks.
"Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin have kind of set me on a path to become a senior rider,” Stanley said.
“They let me do outside work and use my own flexibility in the mornings, on race days and trials, to really get myself into the ways of a senior.
“Massive thank you to them for really kicking me along, because now that I am out of my time, I've kind of got those footsteps in place.”
Troy Corstens spoke highly of Stanley’s work ethic and the commitment he’s shown throughout his time in the stable.
“One of the best things about Jett is his work ethic, he’s not afraid to have a crack and do the hard yards. In the last few months I have let Jett ride the majority of outside work in preparation for becoming a senior, in that time I’m pretty sure he has rode trackwork nearly every morning, he is a very hard worker.
“One of the best things about Jett is his work ethic, he’s not afraid to have a crack and do the hard yards.” - Troy Corstens
“As a result of that he is getting opportunities from Gai and Adrian and he will make the most of it.”
Corstens also shared the pride he felt watching Stanley finish his apprenticeship on a high, taking out the Listed Hareeba Stakes on The Instructor.
“It was fantastic to see, I actually watched it with his mum and dad and we made a real noise, i got a real kick out of it, it was like riding a winner myself.
The Instructor clears away in the Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington on Saturday | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s a real good kid and it hasn’t been easy for him going to West Australia as a young kid, and then when Covid hit and he was stuck there. It was tough for him, they are a close family and it wouldn’t have been easy, it’s forced him to grow up quickly.”
Now a fully-fledged jockey at just 20, Stanley’s ambitions are driven by consistency, hard work, and respect for the process. He’s not rushing the journey — just determined to earn his place among the top senior riders.
“I want to keep riding the best that I can, I want to become a well-established senior metropolitan jockey and everybody wants that.
“I will keep working hard, riding work and hopefully the big stables will support me, one day I would love to ride overseas, but I have a lot of little goals to achieve first.
“I will keep working hard, riding work and hopefully the big stables will support me, one day I would love to ride overseas, but I have a lot of little goals to achieve first.” - Jett Stanley
“Troy, Leon and Will have been very supportive, as have my other mentors, Craig Williams has been very good to me in recent times, and very supportive, so I need to step up become an established senior, and help out the younger jockeys also.”
One natural advantage Stanley holds is his rare combination of height and lightweight — something he hopes will open up key opportunities in major handicaps.
“I can ride 50kg and even though I am 5 foot 11, I am a lightweight. So it’s an advantage that hopefully I can use during carnivals, or races that have real low weights.”
With his apprenticeship now behind him, Jett Stanley steps confidently into the next chapter of his riding career — armed with experience, work ethic, and a network of strong supporters. He’s no stranger to hard yards, and as he transitions into life as a senior jockey, the foundation has been laid for even bigger moments to come.
