Teenage jockey Bailey Wheeler has sights set on Queensland apprentice title

New Queensland jockey Bailey Wheeler has his sights set on an apprentice premiership title after some early stable support and key winners since making the move.

Apprentice jockey Bailey Wheeler has made the move to Queensland to work for Eagle Farm trainer Chris Anderson. Picture: Graham Potter (horseracingonly)

Teenage jockey Bailey Wheeler has stamped his feet on the Queensland racing scene, with a number of early wins in his opening three months.

Wheeler, 18, is in his second year of race riding and is the son of Coffs Harbour-based trainer Daniel Wheeler.

He said he was “born into the industry” after beginning trackwork at 14 and riding his first winner at 16-years-old.

The lightweight hoop was previously under the mentorship of Kris Lees in Newcastle and has since transferred his apprenticeship to Brisbane trainer Chris Anderson.

“Kris Lees is obviously a big stable and everything happens very quick so I’m still a bit younger and just needed a fresh start so thought Queensland was a good spot for me,” Wheeler said.

“I thought the apprentices up here were at my level and my aim is to win an apprentice premiership up here.”

Since making the move north in January Wheeler has recorded 19 wins and 26 placings from 99 starts.

He’s striking at a 33.3 win percentage and 63.3 place percentage at the Gold Coast with an 18.8 and 40.6 percentage at the Sunshine Coast.

Coming from elite racing stock, with Wheeler’s godfather being Zac Purton, he said he was eager to learn as much as he could from Queensland’s leading trainers.

“Chris (Anderson) is great, he’s very understanding, probably the best boss you could ever ask for really as he’s already given me a lot of good rides and I’m very thankful for that,” he said.

“Obviously Stuart (Kendrick) trains a lot of winners and he’s been a great supporter so far which I hope keeps coming, I had one ride for Natalie McCall on Sunday too so would love to get a few more for her as well as she’s another leading trainer.”

Apprentice jockey Bailey Wheeler has made the move to Queensland to work for Eagle Farm trainer Chris Anderson. Picture: Graham Potter (horseracingonly)

Wheeler said he has been enjoying his time in the Sunshine State and hoped his good run of form could continue.

“It makes it a lot easier when you’re riding winners and everyone's a lot happier,” he said.

“I’ve just got the main aim of winning a provincial premiership so if I can keep riding winners and the support keeps coming there’s no reason why I should leave here.”

PAST THE POST

Group 1 winning hoop Damien Thornton is set to join his brother Boris and sister Stephanie in the jockeys‘ room as he looks like calling Queensland home for the winter carnival.

The trio‘s father Glen Thornton is also a trainer in the Sunshine State, along with brother-in-law Ben Thompson battling it out in the premiership ranks.

Damien Thornton said he was looking for a change of scenery, not a lack of opportunity in Victoria as he weighed up where his future lies.

“It‘s temporary at the moment, a bit of a working holiday, so we will see how we go for a while,” he told Trenton Akers on Monday.

“I rode down there in Melbourne in the Newmarket, but then I have come up here looking for something a bit different, a change of scenery.

“I want to try and get some momentum up before winter, it is a working holiday for me.”

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This weeks Sunshine Coast race meet will also mean more Money Makers tips from myself and Queensland racing analyst Chris Nelson.

The profit margin for last season finished at plus 105.22 units, meaning if you were to put $20 on every tip we had given out you would have an extra $2104.4 in your pocket.

The full preview of our Best Bets can be found on the Sunshine Coast daily website on Friday and Sunday morning.