Siena Grima continues to narrow Braith Nock’s lead in the premiership race, adding an exciting dimension to the final weeks of the Sydney apprentices’ season.
Nock, the reigning champion junior rider, took an early lead at Rosehill on Saturday with a Highway Handicap (1500m) victory aboard Portofino ($7.50). Grima, however, fought back with a double for her principal, Chris Waller, riding Tarzing ($3.60) and the $2.70 favourite Surf’s Up to success.
Later in the program, she teamed up with trainer Matthew Smith to win the Schweppes Handicap (1200m) on Ready To Shine.
With nine metropolitan meetings left in the 2025-26 racing term, Grima has now recorded 28 city wins, placing her just two behind Nock. She also has the significant advantage of the backing of Sydney’s most prominent stable.
Darren Beadman, assistant trainer to Waller and a former champion jockey, views the competition between Grima and Nock as a fantastic spectacle for the racing community.
“She is making a good go of it. It’s great for racing to have a bit of competition like this over the last month,” Beadman shared. “Braith has done a tremendous job last year, and to continue on into the next season being strong.”
Beadman, who is mentoring Grima, reserved particular praise for her ride on Surf’s Up in Saturday’s Find Your Eternal Warrior @ The Chase Handicap (1400m).
He had advised her to replicate her previous winning ride on Tarzing by tracking the speed, but was pleased to see her trust her own judgment when the early race dynamics altered.
“I told her to bang her out and copy-paste last ride, just in behind the lead, but when she elected to let (jockey) Anna Roper cross her and be three pairs back on the fence, that was the winning move,” Beadman explained. “She could have kept holding her spot and using gas all the way. A ride beyond her years of riding, and she was strong at the finish.”
Grima has made no secret of her ambition to overtake Nock and win the Sydney apprentices’ premiership. If she succeeds, she will become the fourth female to achieve this feat, following Kathy O’Hara (2004-05), Winona Costin (2014-15), and Rachel King (2017-18).
“It’s going to be really exciting. He’s a great opponent,” Grima stated.
With the Sydney apprentice jockey premiership race intensifying, it’s worth checking out the latest racing odds from leading online bookmakers.