As Billy Owen skilfully guided Greenspan to a narrow win in Saturday’s TAB Highway, he may have spared a thought for a special moment in early 2018, when he knew he could resurrect his professional riding career.
He’d been riding on the picnic circuit for some five years weighing between 68 and 70kgs, eating what he liked and living like a normal human being. Between amateur meetings he was riding regular trackwork for his former master Nick Olive at Canberra and had the feeling his weight had dropped a little.
He’s never forgotten the morning he arrived home from trackwork and jumped on the bathroom scales. “I was expecting around 62 or 63kgs”, recalled the jockey. “I was stunned when the indicator came to rest at 59kgs. I had been riding a lot of work and running around to picnic meetings all over the place. For the first time in a long time, I was confident I could get back into the professional ranks”.
He successfully applied for the appropriate licence and sought advice on regulated weight loss. “I did everything wrong during my first stint as a jockey”, said Billy. “This time around I was determined to follow the advice of the experts”.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Greenspan and Billy Owen get up to beat Congregate (Rachel King) in the TAB Highway.
Young Billy Owen grew up on a 2000 acre (810 hectare) cattle property outside Gundagai. He was riding a pony by age three and was very adept in the hacking world through his teen years. He enjoyed football during school days, but his tiny build didn’t lend itself to the rough and tumble of the game. “I got knocked from pillar to post in the early days and there was no sign of any development in my scrawny frame”, he says.
Billy’s parents Mary and Lachie were supportive when the youngster suggested he should look for an apprenticeship. “I was very fortunate to gain a start with an established trainer like Nick Olive at Canberra”, recalled the budding jockey. “Nick was a great master, a wonderful mentor and has remained one of my closest friends to this day”.
It was Nick who provided his apprentice with that magical first winner. “I won a Maiden on a mare called Chirurgo Dame at an Albury meeting just over nine years ago”, remembers Billy with great affection. “It was a special moment”.
The young jockey rode a healthy 38 winners over the next couple of years, but spent a number of months on the sidelines following race falls. “I fractured a shoulder and collarbone in one accident and a pelvis in another spill”, said Billy. “My weight got out of control during those idle months putting an end to my race riding plans”.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Greenspan's win was Billy's first TAB Highway and John Bateman's first Randwick winner.
The disappointed young horseman reluctantly relinquished his jockey’s licence and went back to work as a member of Nick Olive’s stable staff. His new job just happened to coincide with the emergence of Nick’s star mare Single Gaze whose 5 wins and 12 placings brought her $2,361,600.
Billy never got to ride the bonny mare in a race, but partnered her in four barrier trials and countless track gallops. “I also got to take her to Melbourne for her spring campaign of 2017, which was a tremendous experience”, says Owen. “We were all so excited when she ran a great second in the Caulfield Cup. Luck deserted her in the Melbourne Cup, but it was such a buzz to have her in the race”.
Whenever possible Billy accepted rides at some of the state’s better known picnic meetings. He was thrilled to win a Bong Bong Cup in 2014 on Tradtri, and to finish second on the same horse two years later. All up he rode just under 100 winners as an amateur in five years. “It was good for me at that time of my life, but for now I’m going to concentrate on the bigger stage “, says the comeback kid.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Billy was looking for the camera when Ain't She A Dane won at Crookwell 17/03/2018.
As always Nick Olive was there to provide Billy’s first winner this time around. The pair combined to win a Wagga Maiden on 26/05/2018 with a mare called Foroz - the Sebring mare’s only win in five starts.
In January of 2019 the twenty six year old apprentice won his first city race, when he scored on the John O’Shea trained Dawn Raid at a Canterbury night meeting. Just a few weeks later he won his first Saturday metro race on the Brad Widdup trained Junglized at Randwick.
O’Shea chased his services again in May 2019 for Bergen at Warwick Farm resulting in another win. When O’Shea learned recently that Billy had gained a twelve month extension on his apprenticeship, he was quick to make him an offer. “Mr. O’Shea offered to take over my indentureship provided Nick Olive was agreeable”, said the young jockey. “Never one to stand in my way, Nick very kindly gave his permission and I’m now based at Randwick helping out with a sixty horse team”.
A close study of Owen’s winning effort on Greenspan will testify that there was no better ride on the day. The five year old wanted to over race just a touch early, but by the time they got to the 800m the gelding was in a nice rhythm midfield.
Billy nudged him into the clear topping the rise where he seemed flat footed for a few strides, but started to extend when the jockey switched hands with the whip. “He was never going to win by a margin, but was always going to grab Congregate in time”, said Billy.
The win had special significance on three counts - It was Billy’s first TAB Highway winner, and his first ride for the Bateman stable. It was also John Bateman’s first winner at Royal Randwick.
At just 27 years of age and comfortable at a riding weight of 56kg, Billy Owen can look forward to the best days of his riding career so far. He’s firmly entrenched in a stable housing 60 horses under the control of a very talented trainer.
Despite several interruptions the young jockey has posted a career tally of 228 wins including his many amateur victories. He was able to put in a full season in 2018/2019 finishing with a very healthy 80 wins on the NSW premiership ladder.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Another one of Billy in the picnic days - An easy win on Usain Brockstar at Bong Bong.
As mentioned earlier his apprenticeship expiry date has been extended until February of 2021 and there’s the small matter of a 3kg metropolitan claim and a 2kg concession on the provincial tracks.
Some of Sydney’s more observant trainers will soon be aware of the little bloke from Gundagai who’s working for John O’Shea.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - A special moment for Billy Owen. Presentation of trophies after his win on Tradtri in the 2014 Bong Bong Cup.
(Banner Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - This was a special night! Billy's very first metro winner was Dawn Raid at Canterbury 04/01/2019)