Third Grylls in winner’s circle

FATHER AND SON: winning jockeys Craig and Gary Grylls riding the Sanders-Sweeney trained Mr Eight and Belthazar, in the rain on Tuesday. Both horses will be lining up at Waipa on Sunday. 286051AD

By Colin Thorsen and Grant Johnston

Craig Grylls will be a great jockey if he goes on to emulate his father Gary and late grandfather, Johnny. But he’s already topped his dad and granddad in one respect - riding his first winner at only his third raceday ride.

Gary Grylls is known as New Zealand racing’s most unflappable character - but even he must have been on an emotional high after Craig reined Prince Chetak to victory on premier raceday at Ellerslie on Saturday.

“It took me five rides to get a winner but the John Coutts’ (Ohaupo) trained Mill Hill was disqualified,” says Gary Grylls.

“It then took me another 20 rides to finally nail a winner on Regular Doll at Te Awamutu.”

Craig, a Te Awamutu College Year 11 student, was certainly bred to be a jockey. Father Gary has ridden 1209 winners since 1978, including Kerry Lane in the 1986 Auckland Cup. Grandfather Johnny rode over seven hundred winners including Kia Maia in the 1975 Auckland Cup. Mother Leigh’s father, Wallace Caddy, was a hurdles jockey of note. He won the Northern Hurdles in 1952.

Craig has been working for local trainers Graeme Sanders and (his daughter) Debbie Sweeney on and off for 18 months and signed up for his apprenticeship six months ago.

“We were hoping to kick him off with some good rides at our local track at this Sunday’s Waipa meeting, but his first win has come sooner than we expected,” Sanders says.

After honing his riding skills at trial meetings, young Grylls’ introduction to raceday riding was not immediately auspicious. In fact his first two rides came last. But he picked up the ride on Prince Chetak when trainer Cydney Evans was keen to saddle up an apprentice. The long shot, at odds of 36-1, came storming down the outside to grab victory. The young jockey rated it an ‘unbelievable feeling’.

According to Sanders there will be plenty more winners to savour.

“Craig’s an intelligent, likeable kid - I think he’s got a great future. He listens to you and he can make things happen. He has a great way with horses.”

Sanders has now had three generations of the Grylls family riding for him - with Johnny riding for him when he trained with his late father Bill, followed by Gary who still rides for the stable. Craig says his dad has helped him immensely, providing answers when he’s needed them.

Not surprisingly he loves racing.

“I can’t think of a better job. It’s outdoors and it’s a sport. I get a big adrenalin rush out of racing and I like working with animals,” he says.

The 15-year-old has other strings to his bow as well. His other passion is flying, taking lessons to become a recreational pilot. But with his bloodlines and precocious talent he’s likely to be flying down the home straight in first place a lot more times on raceday.

He is back in action today at Hastings on Desert Romar and Go Faster, while he has been engaged for crack sprinter Go Thenaki at Rotorua on Saturday and a number of rides at Waipa on Sunday.