‘Nothing went right’: Jockey Bailey Wheeler vows to ‘be better’ after Saturday shocker led to Rob Heathcote roasting

Apprentice jockey Bailey Wheeler admits he had a shocker in the saddle last Saturday but says there are “bigger fish to fry” on the horizon.

Jockey Bailey Wheeler (left) has vowed to lift his game following criticism from leading Brisbane trainer Rob Heathcote.

Apprentice jockey Bailey Wheeler admits he had a shocker in the saddle last Saturday but says there are “bigger fish to fry” on the horizon.

Wheeler said he had moved on from his horror day at Doomben and was focused on rides at the same track on Wednesday before his Group 1 assignments in Pukekohe across the ditch and Sydney next month.

The 19-year-old will ride in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1600m) on Saturday week and then on in-form mare Elettrica for the Richard and Will Freedman stable in the $1m Coolmore Classic (1500m).

Wheeler, who has had a chequered past, had five rides for trainer Rob Heathcote last Saturday and bombed in all of them.

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He did have some tough luck in the 2YO Jewel Prelude when classy filly Carbonara reared at the gates and badly missed the start before finishing last as a $3.50 favourite.

A refreshed Heathcote returned to Brisbane from a ski holiday to Japan on Monday night after warning Wheeler on Sunday that the youngster needed to “lift his game”.

“Although I had a bad day, I’ve got to move on. I’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Wheeler said.

“Obviously Rob and all his owners are frustrated. I don’t think what they realise is how frustrated I was as well.

“They put a lot of money and time into the horses but we’re sort of in the same boat.

“We fry ourselves just as much as a trainer or owner would.”

Trainer Rob Heathcote says he has the utmost faith in talented jockey Bailey Wheeler but urged the inconsistent teenager to lift his game.https://t.co/GCOVpC3EfK

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Wheeler had to literally get back on the horse on Sunday at the Sunshine Coast, where he had three rides – including Heathcote’s gelding Sobute, which finished third.

On Wednesday he will ride the Heathcote-trained horses Demon Darb and Ser Joh at Doomben.

“I’m riding for Rob on Wednesday. It’ll blow over,” Wheeler told Racenet.

“Every jockey and trainer combination has a bad day, I don’t care if it’s James McDonald and Chris Waller.

“I made a couple of bad judgments during the day, there’s no doubt about that.

“Nothing went right for me all day. Those days are hard to get out of your brain but there’s only one way to get past it and that’s to forget about it and move on.

“Although we had one bad day, I think the future holds more for me and Rob than just Saturday.”

Cosmo Centaurus wins at the Sunshine Coast for jockey Bailey Wheeler. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography

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Following a string of indiscretions after which he admitted his partying was out of control, Wheeler split with trainer Annabel Neasham in March last year.

Last July he was slapped with a four-week ban after he was found to have lied to stewards over a positive result to a breathalyser test before he rode at the Ipswich Cup.

Asked about his life off the track now, Wheeler said: “Yeah things are going well. I’m basically a senior now but I’m just staying an apprentice to Rob obviously to hold commitments.

“I have to ride in the apprentice race series in a couple of months’ time. I’m staying an apprentice to keep loyal to Rob and make sure that I keep working at being better.”