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• August 20, 2024
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Helagi rides first winner

Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

19 August 2024

Amateur jockey Olivia Helagi was thrilled to notch up her first riding win at Arawa Park on Sunday when guiding the Murray Garrett-trained Impaired Vision to victory in the Patrons Race & Flair Amateur Riders (1950m).

The pair were caught three wide in the early stages of the race before Helagi asked her charge to improve at the 800m mark to eventually sit parked outside leader Rodolfo. They hit the lead with 200m to go and ran out 3-1/2 length victors on the Heavy10 footing.

“Murray said to get going early because he (Impaired Vision) takes a little while to get into it,” Helagi said. “I kept him out on the better part of the track, I wanted to get him in but we didn’t get the opportunity to do that.

“He was travelling really well. The bend seemed like it was taking forever to get to the straight but he kept slogging it out and kept trying, he is a tough old boy.

“I am absolutely stoked to get the win.”

Helagi was also rapt to get the result for Garrett and his wife Julie, who also bred and own the six-year-old gelding.

“I am incredibly grateful to Murray and Julie for the opportunity to ride Impaired Vision, and all the hard work they have put into him,” she said.

Helagi’s win has been a few years in the making, with the Auckland hoop having ridden as an amateur and apprentice jockey in six of the last seven seasons, albeit in a reduced capacity with 15 rides in that time.

The 31-year-old rider is enjoying her time in the saddle on raceday, something she aspired to do a decade ago when entering the industry while studying at university.

“I have always been involved with horses but I didn’t get into racing until I moved down to Auckland for university,” she said. “Davina Waddell (trainer) was advertising for a trackwork rider, I hadn’t ridden racehorses before but I had ridden really naughty ponies and I was hoping that would translate.

“I have been working for Davina for the last 10 years or so. She puts me on at the trials and I have been doing a lot of track work for her. I did an apprenticeship for a little bit that didn’t quite work out, so I got my amateur license again and I am back riding amateur races.

“I haven’t been riding consistently on raceday, I am just trying to get back into it.”

After getting her first taste of victory, Helagi is keen for more, and is looking to increase her riding engagements in the amateur ranks.

“I just want to keep riding as much as I can,” she said. “I just love riding at the trials and races.”