Caserta will go anywhere for rides chasing a winner

It can never be said that former notable Victorian jockey, the lightweight Chris Caserta is not prepared to travel in search of a winner.

It can never be said that former notable Victorian jockey, the lightweight Chris Caserta is not prepared to travel in search of a winner.

Caserta, 26, the envy of many jockeys because of his natural lightweight build that has in the past allowed him to ride at 44kg, has five mounts at the Rockhampton Girls Grammar School races on Saturday.

Yes, you read correctly - 44kg and I'll substantiate that soon.

Chris originally had a full book of six rides on the Callaghan Park card but with the scratching of Wrecking Ball from the BM 65, he gets a little breather.

His rides are Bootlace (Race 1 - TAB 3); Nicks (R 2 - TAB 8); Mr Phenomenal (R 4 - TAB 1); Ketchin Gold (R5 - TAB 6) and Navarre (R 6 - TAB 9).

While most jockeys endure wasting and rigorous exercise and even saunas to reduce their weight, Caserta has gone on record of saying at times he has difficulty in putting it (weight) on.

"I rode at 44kg a few years back in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington," he said.

He certainly did piloting the Lloyd Kennewell trained 2YO filly Jedastar in the GR 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) won by In Her Time.

Through no fault of Caserta, the filly found the task beyond her and finished well back.

Caserta moved to Queensland some months ago after battling for rides in Victoria where he had been previously prominent because of the increase in minimum weights brought about through COVID protocols.

"It was very difficult for the lightweights like me because the minimum weights were elevated to an extent where most jockeys could ride the minimum," he explained.

Earlier in his career, the name Chris Caserta was very well known in Victorian racing through regular winners.

However, lengthy sidelines through two horror horse related accidents, one for 18 months due to a serious leg break, dimmed his prominence in racing circles and his career suffered as a result.

Hence the move to the southern end of Queensland's Gold Coast this autumn fired by a determination to re-establish his career fortified by strong work ethics.

When Caserta says he will go anywhere for rides chasing a winner, he means just that.

Consider his itinerary so far this month.

On June 1 he rode at Rockhampton; 4/6 Sunshine Coast; 6/6 Murwillumbah; 8/6 Doomben; 9/6 Sunshine Coast; 11/6 Dalby; 12/6 Grafton; 14/6 Ballina and Saturday, 19/6 Rockhampton.

Now those venues aren't exactly in his backyard and in the main require long drives or in Rockhampton's case air travel.

Callaghan Park is not unfamiliar ground for Chris as on an earlier visit there on May 15 he won on the Zoe Hohn trained Ruffin'It courtesy of an impressive riding display.

Seemingly, Caserta's best prospect of a winner at the Girls Grammar meeting is with that enigmatic but talented galloper Mr Phenomenal in the $15K Open Handicap (1400m).

In racing parlance, Mr Phenomenal can be hard to catch but if the Darryl Gardiner trained galloper clicks with Caserta a win is on the cards.

Horse racing is a hard taskmaster where strong work ethics are not always rewarded with success.

However, mixed with natural talent which Chris Caserta possesses and aided by decent dose of that that elusive streak of good luck, change usually comes for the better.

In Chris Caserta's case it is overdue but fortunately he is prepared to ride it out.

The Girls Grammar meeting is the first of the Rockhampton Jockey Club's Winter Carnival race days and it promises to be a vibrant afternoon for horse racing and fashions.