Punters celebrate as apprentice Cejay Graham guides the well-backed Vodka Martini to victory

Apprentice Cejay Graham landed a double at Doomben with new boss Kelly Schweida impressed by her talent and work ethic.

Apprentice jockey Cejay Graham rides Vodka Martini to victory for trainer Kelly Schweida at Doomben. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography

Group 1-winning Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida was quick to sing the praises of promising young rider Cejay Graham when she got the cream on exciting sprinter Vodka Martini at Doomben.

Graham is an apprentice in demand, having fought off several significant injuries in her career and having made the move this year from Port Macquarie to Brisbane to work under Eagle Farm trainer Schweida.

On Saturday at Doomben, Graham’s name was up in lights again with Vodka Martini capping a riding double after her earlier win on Kitri.

The previous Saturday at Eagle Farm, Graham had finished runner-up on Vodka Martini who was beaten by Tony Gollan’s boom three-year-old Freedom Rally.

Vodka Martini shakes off his rivals to score! 🍸@schweidaracingpic.twitter.com/lGLNlH42Rw

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 22, 2023

Schweida chose to roll the dice and back his sprinter up seven days later but was always wary of the drop back 150m in distance to Saturday’s QTIS 3YO Handicap over 1050m.

Graham was again entrusted with the ride, with Schweida enthused with not only her riding skill but also her strong work ethic.

She was also the pal of punters, given Vodka Martini was strongly backed from $1.95 to $1.75.

“Cejay is going really well, she wants to learn and she has got a good jockey brain,” Schweida said.

“She asks a lot of questions, especially when we go through her rides every night.

“She really wants to be a successful jockey.

“Vodka Martini is a good little boy, I was a bit brave backing him up but it was about the QTIS prizemoney.

“I trained his father (Agitate) who was a very quick horse out of the barriers.”

Graham, who used to drive almost six hours to the races in Brisbane twice a week before relocating to the Sunshine State, vowed to remain grounded.

Apprentice jockey Cejay Graham has now made Queensland her home. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography

“I definitely won’t get a big head, I know I have got a lot to learn,” Graham said.

“I want to do everything I can to improve.

“I won’t get anywhere without hard work and that’s what I’m here to do.

“This horse Vodka Martini is tough, to come here and do that on the quick back-up was outstanding.

“I was super grateful to retain the ride and happy I could get the job done for Kelly Schweida and the owners.”

Vodka Martini has now won four from seven races and looks to have an exciting future.

He lost few admirers with his defeat by Freedom Rally a week earlier, given the high esteem that champion trainer Gollan holds Freedom Rally in.

In the week they announced their engagement, Group 1 winning jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor and his now fiancée Angela Jones rode a Doomben winner each while Paul Hamblin made a rare riding appearance in town to get the money on Orbisyn.

Originally published as Punters celebrate as apprentice Cejay Graham guides the well-backed Vodka Martini to victory