Belinda Hodder sounded remarkably chipper on Sunday for a jockey who’s had a frenetic start to the new racing season. At the time of our phone conversation, she’d had 31 rides since August 1st at seven meetings on six different racetracks for three wins and five placings.
She’d been to Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Lismore, Casino and twice to Coffs Harbour. A couple of Cup wins helped to reduce the stress levels. One of her two winners on Coffs Harbour Cup day was the Brett Dodson trained Galway in the $50,000 Ken Howard Showcase Cup, while another long trek on Saturday brought her victory in the $30,000 Casino Cup on At Witz End for long time supporter Owen Glue.
On Monday she enjoyed the relative luxury of a comfortable two and a half hours to Grafton where she had six rides. That made it 37 since August 1st.
Belinda was in dashing form as she notched a double with Chiaki for Tony Green and Ambitious Prince for Warren Gavenlock. Her other four rides registered two thirds and two fourths between them. She rounded off the day with rides in two official trials after the final race.
Nobody was surprised when the ever reliable jockey turned up at the Port Macquarie track at first light on Tuesday to work horses for Jenny Graham and Alan Hayden. She then made her customary 20km dash to the Wauchope track where she worked a few more for staunch supporter Colt Prosser.
By 8am the Port Macquarie “dynamo” was on the road to Scone, some four hours away for a book of six rides - four for George Woodward and two for Sally Torrens. The philosophical thirty one year old understands that some days are diamonds and some days are stones. Belinda ran second on Tom’s Knight but her other five rides finished out of the money, and that last few kilometres into Port Macquarie on Tuesday night must have seemed endless.
Another angle of Belinda's win on Galway on Coffs Harbour Cup day - courtesy Trackside Photography.
That unrelenting work ethic, and bottomless reserves of energy, saw Belinda enjoy her career best season in 2019/2020 posting 61 wins, 66.5 seconds and 71 thirds. The Grafton double on Monday took her career win tally to a healthy 363.
Belinda spent the first thirteen years of her life in Perth, after having been born in Port Macquarie under the most unlikely of circumstances. Her mother Julie who was in the latter stages of pregnancy, was visiting family members on the NSW mid north coast when her baby decided to make an early arrival at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital. Perhaps sentiment triggered Belinda’s decision to make Port Macquarie her home many years later.
Julie made the move to Kempsey in 2002 when her father developed health problems. Belinda had begun her love affair with horses in WA and quickly picked up the threads in her new environment. She excelled at pony club and effortlessly made the transition to the show jumping and eventing disciplines.
Julie had dabbled with thoroughbreds in Perth, and quickly succumbed to the temptation of hobby training a few gallopers in the staunch little racing town of Kempsey. She enjoyed moderate success and was sufficiently buoyed in 2008 to apprentice her “horse crazy” daughter.
And so Belinda Hodder’s career as a professional jockey began in the idyllic Macleay Valley. “My first twenty or so race rides were trained by my mother, but Taree trainer Ross Stitt provided my first winner,” recalled Belinda. “Mum had gotten to know Ross quite well at the local races and I think he gave me a ride as a favour to her.”
“It was the Melbourne Cup day meeting at Taree, the day Viewed gave Bart Cummings his twelfth Melbourne Cup win. I was much more focused on the NBN Television Spring Cup in which I rode a horse called Mr. Mumbles. It was a pretty ordinary ride but somehow Mr. Mumbles scrambled home narrowly from a stablemate Igotthelastone ridden by Clare Pettigrew, who was apprenticed to Ross Stitt at the time.”
Belinda around the time of her first race win on Mr Mumbles at Taree for Ross Stitt - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Julie had only a handful of horses in work and was unable to give her daughter the experience she needed. “It all came to a head one day when I absolutely slaughtered one of Mum’s horses at a local meeting,” said Belinda. “Not only did Mum give me a blast, but the officiating Chief Steward on the day strongly advised me to get more practice.”
In 2009 Belinda’s papers were transferred to expatriate Kiwi Gordon Yorke who was training successfully at Coffs Harbour. “I spent twelve months with Gordon who put a lot of rides my way,” she said. “As I improved, offers of rides started to trickle in from other stables sometimes at faraway meetings. To honour those commitments I had to neglect my duties at the Yorke stable. Gordon and I split amicably and my indentures were transferred to my old friend Ross Stitt at Taree.”
“In the twelve months I spent with Ross, I rode around thirty winners for the stable, and he was happy for me to travel to a wide range of meetings.
I spent the last year of my apprenticeship at Port Macquarie with Marc Quinn who had only a small team of horses, and he actually sent me to the Gold Coast on loan to John Morrisey for three months. I rode a number of winners there, but I was missing racing in Northern NSW.”
Belinda’s apprenticeship wasn’t all plain sailing. Between race falls and trackwork accidents she sustained multiple injuries which saw her sidelined for twenty months in a four year period. At different times she’s had to deal with fractures to a leg, wrist, ribs, and both eye sockets. She actually continued to ride with a fractured tibia at one stage, and in compensating for that injury caused serious ligament damage to the ankle.
The smile says it all ! Belinda with the jockey's trophy after winning the Casino Cup on At Witz End - courtesy Trackside Photography.
“I like to think I got all of my bad luck out of the way early,” said the jockey. “All things considered I’m in pretty good shape, although I might have to get some more work on my nose one day. They rebroke and reset it on one occasion and I’m sure it’s still slightly crooked. I’m way too busy to worry about it now. That’s a job for the future.”
Belinda acknowledges the support she receives from two key people- partner Drew Smith and manager Nathan Daniels who work from the same office at Port Macquarie under the “catchy” company banner of All Things Thoroughbred.
Drew, a former Chairman of Stewards on the NSW Mid North Coast now works as racing manager for the highly successful Matt Dunn stable, and has also managed rides for Sydney jockey Adam Hyeronimus in recent times. Nathan concentrates on jockey management and currently represents Belinda, Brooke Stower and Emily Atkinson - three in demand female riders.
Another country cup to Belinda! Last Saturday's Casino Cup on At Witz End for Owen Glue - courtesy Trackside Photography.
With a weight limit of 55kgs in most country races currently, Belinda is finding life easier. She’s taller than the average jockey at 170cm which adds a little extra weight to her frame. “I’ve got to watch it constantly, but I’m not silly about it,” she said.
Prior to Covid restrictions the talented jockey had plenty of family support whenever she rode at Grafton. Brother Paul and sister Megan both live in the Jacaranda city, as does her Mum who’s currently having a break from horse training. “It’s possible she might have another crack one day,” says Belinda. “If that happens I’d love to ride another winner for her down the track.”
Belinda has a ten year old half brother James who lives with his father Andrew Guy in Queensland. “He and Dad are well aware of my progress as a jockey and see plenty of me on Sky Racing,” she said.
Apart from recent wins in the Casino and Ken Howard Showcase Cups, the much travelled jockey has a few other highlights on her impressive little country CV. Earlier this year she won the Armidale Cup on Concessions for the Scott Singleton stable, while in 2017 she won the Murwillumbah Cup for Owen Glue on Anne Bonny. Last year Belinda added a John Carlton Cup to the list on Malea Magic at Grafton.
Belinda wins the Armidale Cup on Concessions for trainer Scott Singleton - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Respected trainer Ross Stitt was on his way to Grafton races on Monday when I tracked him down. He has clear recollections of the twelve months Belinda spent with the stable and pays her a fitting tribute. “She was unfailingly reliable and dedicated to her craft,” he said. “Belinda has continued to improve in recent years and nowadays ranks with the very best riders in northern NSW. If she gets a decent ride in a TAB Highway one day, she’ll more than hold her own with the Sydney jockeys.”
Thank you Ross Stitt. There’s nothing more to say.
Belinda had her best season ever in 2019/2020 - 61 wins and 137 placings. She travelled far and wide to achieve these figures - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - A classic Trackside Photography shot of Galway and Belinda Hodder (outside with white cap) winning the Ken Howard Showcase Cup at Coffs 06/08/2020 - courtesy Trackside Photography.)