Kembla Grange a breeding ground for next generation of female jockeys

With a smaller industry and fewer races, male jockeys had maintained a stranglehold on the limited number of rides available.

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That led to an 18-year-old Hennessy relocating to Australia to pursue her passion.

The difference was stark.

"When I was an apprentice there was three of us," Hennessy said. "Three girls and that was in the whole of Ireland. Compared to over here, at some meetings there are more girls than boys.

"There's just a lack of opportunities back home. There's less racing during the winter, only one race meeting a week. With only six or seven races at that one meeting, they're going to put a senior jockey on. It's really hard to get into the game back home, there's too many jockeys and not enough horses."

While female jockeys are a common sight at racetracks across the country, it has not always been that way.

Luke Price remembers just a couple of girls in his cohort when he was an apprentice 20 years ago.

Theresa Bateup had originally dreamed of becoming a jockey. She started out as a trackwork rider before a growth spurt put an end to those ambitions at a time few females were able to break into the riding ranks.

There were old stereotypes that were tough to shatter. Only males were considered strong enough to control the horses. Owners felt they had a better chance of winning with a man on board.

"When I was a kid, we didn't have that many female jockeys at all," Bateup said. "Now especially at country meetings, the female jockeys outnumber the male jockeys.

"As a trainer, going back five or more years, I used to have a group of owners that didn't want female jockeys on their horses. It's not even a topic of discussion anymore.

"I can't remember the last time I said I think a horse needs a male rider. We don't have anyone having a dummy spit about having a female jockey, if anything many think a horse will go better for a female."

Today half of the 90 apprentices in NSW are female.

Five are based at Kembla Grange. Alongside Brock Ryan, Robert and Luke Price are developing Madi Waters and Cameron Dignam.

Waters has impressed in her young career, many tipping the 18-year-old to be a future star. Dignam is in the early stages, her first race still a few months away.

After basing herself in Queanbeyan for the first four years of her time in Australia, Hennessy recently shifted to Wollongong to work with Bateup. She rode her first Sydney winner on Wednesday on board John Sargent's Easy Campese.

Bateup has also employed Sally Faulks, who's debut is just weeks away.

Finally, long-time Gwenda Markwell staff-member Jess Del Frari had her first race for the trainer last August, the apprentice claiming her first two victories at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

It's a crop of jockeys the trainers speak highly of, the five expected to have city success down the track.

And in a serious change in attitudes, their gender will not prevent the women from achieving their goals.

"It used to be very hard," Bateup said. "There was always a stigma about female riders, they didn't get the same opportunities as the males. It's a much more even playing field now.

"At the end of the day, if you work hard, put your head down, bum up, you're going to get opportunities."

It's a sentiment Price agrees with, the trainer attempting to drill into his riders the importance of hard work.

"It's who's in it for the long haul and is willing to tough it out," Price said. "It makes or breaks you this sport.

"I try to teach them as much as I can from my experience. We all learn along the way from each other, I'm lucky I had lots of experience when I was quite young and I can share that with them. I still ride trackwork with them and can point little things out to help them improve."

The five have arrived at Kembla Grange through divergent paths, however they all have one thing in common. A love for horses.

Waters has been riding horses since she was two, before Kerry Parker encouraged her to link up with the Prices as a 14-year-old. She started riding trackwork a year later and commenced her apprenticeship at 17.

Dignam emerged through show jumping, her family purchasing ex-racehorses from the Price stable.

Hennessy started an apprenticeship at 15 at the County Kildare Racing Academy. Del Frari also has a background in jumping, while she has worked for Markwell for seven years.

Faulks was essentially bred into the industry, her parents working most of their lives in horse racing.

The teenager started riding trackwork with Bateup as a 15-year-old, before commencing her apprenticeship with Markwell last year and now returning to Bateup to begin her racing days.

While Faulks always suspected she'd end up working in the industry, her sights were not set on a career as a jockey.

"Mum and dad have been in the industry for a long time," Faulks said. "It was hard to escape it and I fell in love with it.

"I wouldn't be here without Gwenda and Theresa. Gwenda gave me a push in the right direction and I had worked for Theresa before that. Gwenda shaped me up, told me to give it a go and see where I get to. She's got me a long way, I wouldn't be here if wasn't for her."

The rise in female apprentices at Kembla Grange represents a wider trend in the industry.

Bateup works regularly with Jess Taylor, while Anthony Mountney has a close relationship with former Gai Waterhouse apprentice Winona Costin.

Women are also dominating at the top of the sport. Jamie Kah currently leads the Melbourne jockey premiership and claimed last month's Doncaster Mile with an impressive ride on board Godolphin's Cascadian.

Rachel King and Kathy O'Hara have emerged as Sydney's top female jockeys, the pair winning Group races through the autumn.

The reasons for the rise of women are many and varied. Changes to whip rules have seen an increasing focus on technique and finesse, the importance of strength declining. Natural growth of men has handed females a weight advantage. Fewer boys are riding horses.

Waters has watched closely as female jockeys have earned rides in the sport's biggest races, inspiring her to continue chasing her dreams.

"I look up to Rachel," Waters said. "I did a couple of days with her at the races where she was my mentor and I've really looked up to her since then. Jamie Kah is also fantastic, I'd love to be her one day. Anyone would."

It's a sentiment shared by all the girls, the jockeys praising the supportive environment for helping them steadily improve.

"We all look out for each other and are always asking each other for help," Hennessy said. "It is really good to see so many girls over here, we're all good friends and there's good support there.

"If we come back in after a race we can ask the senior girls like Kathy or Rachel for advice. They'll always tell you what you could've done better, they're always helping you improve."

The path to the top of the racing world has been set. The jockeys know it's now up to them to get there.