Adelaide apprentice Jade Doyle is hoping to kick start a successful season on the west coast when racing returns to Port Lincoln on Wednesday.
Doyle has made the effort to travel to Port Lincoln and ride work in the lead-up to the season opener in a bid to enhance her opportunities and has been rewarded with six rides on the busy nine-race card.
“Jade has showed a lot of initiative and has got in early to try and secure opportunities at Port Lincoln this season,’’ Racing SA Apprentice Academy Master Briony Moore said.
“She has made a number of trips over to ride trackwork already in the lead-up to the new season.
“Jade has also been working very closely and constituently with the Academy to work on some key areas of her riding to really help benefit her leading into this season which is great to see,’’ she said.
Moore said Port Lincoln can provide a big boost in the career progression of young riders.
“The West Coast racing circuit is particularly fruitful for apprentices in the early stages of their careers, riders are able to learn their craft in a relatively low key relaxed environment,’’ Moore said.
“On average, apprentice riders secure 63% of rides at Pt Lincoln race meeting and as history shows it can be vital to accelerating an apprentice’s career and highlighting their skills and abilities,’’ she said.
After a delayed start to the season the Port Lincoln surface got a big tick of approval from participants following last week’s trials.
“The track looks alright, there wasn’t a lot of kick back and the feedback (from riders) was good,’’ local trainer Byron Cozamanis said.