Teen jockey Jamie Kah enjoying a meteoric rise up the racing ladder

TEENAGE jockey Jamie Kah is showing maturity beyond her years, writes Tom Biddington.

Jamie Kah, right, with fellow star jockey Claire Lindop.

JAMIE Kah knows a thing or two about pressure.

In just her first meeting as a jockey in April last year, the plunge was on.

Her master, Strathalbyn trainer John MacMillan, couldn't stand still, but Kah, then 16-years-old, remained calm.

Thousands of dollars was riding on her performance and she didn't let anyone down - getting Magic Tigress home to the delight of her supporters.

The stable was thrilled - and so confident she could do it again - they had another go in the last race and again Kah got the cash as Arthurian Legend prevailed.

Conservative estimates say connections took at least $15,000 from the bookies at Clare that day.

Everyone knew this precocious talent was good, but no one knew just how quickly she would climb to the top.

Fast-forward to today, and Kah has established herself as the best young rider in Australia.

The winners have come thick and fast since her debut at Clare and it hasn't taken long for the accolades and awards to come flooding in.

Since that day, Kah has ridden 174 winners, become the first apprentice to claim the Adelaide jockeys' premiership since Jason Holder in 1995/96, collected the John Letts Medal as SA's premier hoop and had more winners than anyone else in the state.

It's more than most jockeys could ever dream to accomplish in their career, let alone one who only turned 18 earlier this month.

No one expected this sort of rise - especially not Kah herself, who uses the word incredible often when thinking about her feats.

"I don't think it's sunk in yet," she said.

"When I started I thought I'd hopefully get a few rides in the city, get a few winners with my claim but it's been going down and down.

"I thought I'd struggle in the provincials because I have no claim but the trainers keep putting me on and showing support, which is how I've got here.

"To win the premiership in my first full season of riding was incredible."

Every good judge will tell you she's got an innate understanding of the animal. She gets them - and they run for her.

It was something she learned from an early age, first sitting on a horse when she was 18 months old.

Kah has always been around horses and excelled - she travelled to England to represent Australia in the International Mounted Games (an elite pony club event) when she was just 14.

That sort of experience held her in good stead.

"I didn't have to learn to ride horses, just ride races," she said.

In terms of developing that craft, Kah credits MacMillan, a former jumps jockey, for having the biggest influence.

"John has been great for my confidence, he never really bags me," she said.

"Some trainers blame the jockeys, but he's never done that, he's just wanted to help me."

But that doesn't mean he'll let the apprentice get ahead of herself.

"John's very good with that. He's back me publicly but he'll always sit me down and tell me if I've done something wrong," she said.

"Some people find it hard to do that in this game, but I know I wouldn't be here without all the support."

Given MacMillan doesn't have the biggest stable, it's the support from other trainers across SA and Victoria which has made the biggest difference.

Kah has posted winners for the likes of Tony McEvoy, Phillip Stokes and Leon Macdonald, who have been happy to put her on.

But with those opportunities come pressure, something Kah has learned to handle.

Sometimes people forget jockeys are competing with millions of dollars riding on the outcome of every meeting.

You have to have a thick skin in the racing game.

"When you get beaten on a $1.60 favourite, like I did a couple of weeks ago, you can get slagged off a bit from people but you've just got to not take it to heart," she said.

"There's not much you can do out there when you're on a 600kg animal and they're not doing what you tell them to do. You've just got to forget about that sort thing."

Equally, it's about managing relationships, particularly in the jockeys' room.

With the level of success Kah has had, it's only natural for there to be a bit of jealousy directed her way.

"I suppose there is (some jealousy), people thinking I get it easy," she said.

"I'm grateful I get a lot of good rides, but you've still got to ride them well and still need to win on them. It's not as easy as people think it is."

Kah, touchwood, is yet to experience any serious injury - the worst she's had is a broken toe - and rides with plenty of confidence.

"The second you get scared out there is the second you have to give it up," she said.

"You can't nervous out there when you're riding so close to people."

A month in Melbourne with Caulfield trainer Mick Price is next on the agenda for Kah, who will also travel to Singapore in February, her prize for being named Dux of the SA Apprentice Academy.

Even though her record is impeccable, she knows she still has plenty to improve on.

"I'm probably more of a quiet rider so I have to work on being more aggressive sometimes when they need it," she said.

"There are lots of other things. If I go to Melbourne I have to step up a couple more levels."

There's also the carrot of black-type success - something Kah is yet to achieve - while out-riding her city claim, which is currently 1.5kg, is only a matter of time.

While she doesn't know what the future holds, she's leading the premiership again, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

"You never get sick of riding winners," she said.

"Every time it's a massive thrill."