NSW apprentice Courtney Bellamy starts three-month stint with Tony and Calvin McEvoy at Ballarat

Facing the Ballarat winter and taking on Victoria’s deep pool of talented jockeys will stand Coffs Harbour apprentice Courtney Bellamy in good stead during her three-month loan spell with trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

Apprentice Courtney Bellamy has started a three-month loan with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography.

Ballarat’s notoriously frigid winter confronted apprentice Courtney Bellamy as soon as she arrived to start a three-month loan spell with trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

Bellamy met Hollywood leading man Chris Hemsworth in bright sunshine in Brisbane last spring but has spent the past three weeks getting used to icy kickback when riding on the Ballarat Synthetic track.

But that’s the journey upon which the Coffs Harbour native has embarked to improve her riding.

The daughter of successful northern NSW trainer Brett Bellamy arrived at Ballarat with 88 wins to her name but is keen to develop her skills under the tutelage of the Group 1-winning trainers.

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“Tony and dad go way back to their younger years and Tony said, ‘I’ll take Courtney and help her and support her and give her the best opportunity she can have’,” Bellamy said.

“It was a really good opportunity to experience a new state and learn some more things to add to my resume and experience some new racing.

“I’m living in Ballarat and Tony and Calvin have given me a nice little house to live in so it’s great.”

Apprentice Courtney Bellamy met Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth when riding in Brisbane last year. Picture: Supplied

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Bellamy had her first ride in Victoria at last Saturday’s Sandown meeting aboard the McEvoy-trained Dillinger and while the gelding was unable to give Bellamy a dream start, the young jockey said she had already learned a few things – including to always dress warm at Ballarat.

“Let’s just say I couldn’t feel my feet when I first got here,” Bellamy said.

“The different ways of training here have been a bit of an eye-opener.

“Coming from a country track, we probably do things a little bit different because we are limited in training tracks at home.

“I can say I enjoy burning up the hill track at Ballarat. That’s quite fun.”

Bellamy arrived in Victoria alongside her partner Bradley Wheeler but is living on her own while Wheeler competes on the Australian professional bull riding circuit.

Wheeler won an Australian bull riding title last year and was in action in Newcastle last Saturday night.

Originally published as NSW apprentice Courtney Bellamy starts three-month stint with Tony and Calvin McEvoy at Ballarat