HORSERACING
Racing's leading lady Gai Waterhouse has another French import in her stable ready to take Australian racing by storm - only this time it's a jockey.
Stakes-winning hoop Thomas Huet began his Australian racing adventure with an inch-perfect ride at Kembla Grange over the weekend.
A Group 2 winner last season who has previously ridden inside Paris's Stade de France, Huet has long eyed off a riding stint on Australian soil.
"I wanted to come four or five years ago and it's not possible because I had a good proposition in France to ride in the winter season," Huet said.
"This year I had some work, but was not very busy for the winter in France and I said it's the time to go to travel to come to Australia.
"She [Waterhouse] is a famous woman and I said if I came to Australia it was to go to a top trainer. She opens the door very lovely and it's very interesting to work with her. I hope I can ride for her very quickly."
Huet has already ridden 440 winners across Europe, but has also ventured to Dubai and Mauritius.
The globe-trotting hoop afforded Michelle Ritchie's Iniquity a cosy ride outside the leader in Huet's first Australian mount before the gelding plugged into fifth spot.
Huet said he had already noticed some differences in the way French races were run.
"The first difference is just the distance. In France you have a lot of races 2000 metres or more. Here it's a very short distance.
"The problem is the pace is not the same [either].
"In France it's a very tactical race and it's very difficult to win every day because you have a lot of runners in races ... sometimes 20 runners in a handicap.
"You go slowly and it's very tactical. Here the best horse wins."