Jockeys Ryan Maloney, Baylee Nothdurft, Robbie Fradd and more to line up at 2021 Caloundra Cup.
FULL LIST: We’ve listed the top jockeys heading into the Caloundra Cup at Corbould Park this weekend, so you know who to watch out for.
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The Sunshine Coast Turf Club’s Caloundra Cup race day is set to feature a number of prominent jockeys, trainers and fan alike.
The meeting will host nine races with races 6, 7, 8 and 9 the key events.
We’ve taken a look at the top jockeys heading into this Saturday’s meeting to help steer you through the tough Sunshine Coast form guide.
Ryan Maloney
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 121 - 1st 32, 2nd 27, 3rd 15 – Win 26.45%, Place 61.16%.
After making the move from Victoria to Queensland in 2018, Maloney has not looked back and has become a Group 1 winning jockey on one of Australia’s favourites, Alligator Blood.
Maloney currently has the best win and place percentage of any jockey at the Sunshine Coast track and is looking to extend his lead this Saturday.
Maloney also sits second of the Brisbane Jockeys Premiership table and is definitely someone the punters look towards when a big race rolls around.
His recent win on fan favourite, Desert Lord, assured Coast trainer David Vandyke that Maloney is the right man for the job in this Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap.
Ben Thompson
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 258 - 1st 33, 2nd 33, 3rd 34 – Win 13.3%, Place 40.3%.
At 24 years of age Thompson has already proved himself as one of the in-form Queensland jockeys this season.
Thompson has had the most starts at the Sunshine Coast track ahead of any other jockey this year and is proving himself against the elite competition.
After finishing second in the 2020 Adelaide Cup, Thompson was able to take out the 2021 Group Two event and showed himself a threat across all race distances.
Thompson has shown traits of a top-class jockey in the making and holds himself in a professional manner both on and off the track.
Baylee Nothdurft
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 44 - 1st 6, 2nd 5, 3rd 6 – Win 13.6%, Place 38.6%.
After taking some time away from the sport earlier this year, Nothdurft, 22, has returned in great fashion and is looking to go one better this weekend at the Sunshine Coast.
Being only the third apprentice jockey to claim the Queensland Metropolitan Jockey Title since Michael Rodd and Zac Purton, Nothdurft has placed himself among elite names already.
Last season he was called by some elite Queensland racing analysts as the best jockey in Queensland.
Since joining top trainer Tony Gollan, he’s been on the right horses and in the right races which has helped his confidence skyrocket.
His race win last week on Shooting For Gold at Eagle Farm was a clear indicator his form has gone nowhere and he’s ready to compete once again.
Robbie Fradd
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 124 - 1st 24, 2nd 16, 3rd 15 – Win 19.35%, Place 44.35%.
Robbie Fradd is a tried and tested Group One winning jockey with stints in South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and now Australia.
The Gold Coast-based jockey is a leading performer among the Queensland jockeys dressing rooms, having cracked more than 95 wins four times in the past five seasons.
It’s understandable why he continues to perform well under pressure with his most recent major win on Robert Heathcote’s, Emerald Kingdom in the BRC Sprint.
Fradd will once again look to add to his win tally at this weekend’s Caloundra Cup race day.
Justin Huxtable
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 50 - 1st 7, 2nd 12, 3rd 8 – Win 14.0%, Place 54.0%.
Apprentice jockey Justin Huxtable, 21, is continuing to throw his name into the ring as one of Queensland’s top jockeys.
After an unfortunate incident at The Wave day on the Gold Coast in February this year, Huxtable returned to the winner’s circle in March when he was able to beat out the heavily-backed favourite Leadership Spill on his ride Genzai The Wolf.
The leading metropolitan apprentice jockey sits 17 wins ahead of second place Leah Kilner and is continuing to blossom under trainer Chris Munce.
Stephanie Thornton
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 138 - 1st 14, 2nd 18, 3rd 8 – Win 10.14%, Place 28.99%.
Stephanie Thornton, 22, is Queensland’s current golden girl and it’s easy to understand why.
With top draw performances and her two key wins in the past month on Happy Go Plucky in the Ipswich Cup and on Away Game in the W.J Healy Stakes, Thornton is continuing to shine on the big stage.
She is on track to have her best career year since 2017 and has proven she can handle any challenge thrown her way.
Micheal Hellyer
Sunshine Coast statistics: Starts 130 - 1st 12, 2nd 11, 3rd 10 – Win 9.23%, Place 25.38%.
With two Winx Guineas wins to his name already, Coast superstar Micheal Hellyer is ready to go again this Saturday.
Paired with Queensland and Coast big name trainer David Vandyke, Hellyer is sure to step up to the occasion when he’s shown the support he deserves.
Hellyer will ride Without Thinking on Saturday, a horse trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon, as he looks to build on his already impressive Caloundra Cup Day resume.
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