Andrew Adkins was almost as chuffed to run second on outsider Wandabaa in The Hunter as he would have been with a win in the $1 million feature. Never better than three wide from a tricky barrier, Andrew was able to follow second favourite Top Ranked all the way before switching to the outside of that horse at the 300m. Wandabaa did well to get as close as she did to the winner Lost And Running who ran right up to his imposing recent form.
Andrew had finished fourth on the Kris Lees trained mare in the Civic Stakes at Rosehill two weeks earlier. A perfect display on that occasion earned him the ride in Saturday’s feature. Forty minutes after The Hunter it was Andrew in a totally different role as he led throughout to win a BM 78 on Norwegian Bliss (NZ) in the Gerry Harvey silks. The Nathan Doyle trained mare will now go to the paddock with an unblemished record of four wins from as many starts. “I’m hopeful I’ll get to ride her next preparation when she steps up in class,” said Andrew. “She’s got better with every run and has a terrific attitude. She’ll be well handled by Nathan Doyle and you’d be surprised if she doesn’t go a fair bit further.”
Andrew won on Norwegian Bliss shortly after finishing 2nd on Wandabaa in The Hunter - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Thirty minutes after the race, Andrew was in his car heading north to Port Macquarie some 240 km away. He was looking forward to catching up with parents Brett and Kerry whose home is situated adjacent to the 450m mark at the Port Macquarie racecourse. This is where he began his career with local trainer Marc Quinn, and where he rode his first winner just over seven years ago.
Andrew expected no favours when he returned to the saddle in February following a nine month injury enforced absence. Nor did he expect his comeback to be as tough as it’s been. The Rosehill fall which put him out of action in July 2020 was widely publicised.
His mount Hot ‘N’ Hazy crashed to the turf after clipping the heels of another runner inside the 200m and fell heavily. The promising gelding had to be euthanised after sustaining a fractured shoulder in the incident. The fall resulted in severe interference to three other runners, two of which actually galloped on the hapless Adkins.
The list of injuries was soul destroying for the young jockey- multiple fractures to the left leg, seven broken ribs and a fractured collar bone. His condition was further complicated by a pneumothorax or collapsed lung. Following the insertion of a steel rod in his left leg, young Andrew retreated to his family home at Port Macquarie to begin his long rehabilitation. It should be remembered that this was just one of four serious accidents for Andrew in the space of fifteen months.
In April of 2019 his mount War Baron crashed when trying to jump a fallen horse close to the winning post in a race at Randwick. Through no fault of his own, Andy was left with fractures to three vertebrae, sternum, ribs, jaw and nose. As gruesome as it appeared, no surgery was required and he healed quickly. In between that fall and the Rosehill disaster in July of 2020, he politely fell down the stairs at home and broke a wrist. Again his adherence to correct medical procedure saw him back at the races in record time. But the horror run wasn’t over yet.
He was barely back in action when a fractious horse crashed through the barrier with him at the Randwick trials hurling him backwards out of the saddle. He knew instantly he’d broken the same wrist again - a different bone admittedly but that didn’t help his frame of mind. This young man’s ability to cope with adversity has carried him through many dark days and will prove inspirational to other young riders of his generation who find themselves in similar circumstances. “I couldn’t believe I was out of business again,” said Andrew. “No good feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve got to do everything the experts tell you to do and keep as busy as your injury will allow.”
Former master Ron Quinton has been a great mentor and friend to Andrew - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Andy’s return to race riding at a Gosford meeting on February 24th this year wasn’t without a solid foundation. After several weeks of routine trackwork, he competed in no less than twenty nine barrier trials for a wide range of stables. His first ride back was a fourth on Tycoon Hallie for Chris Waller followed by an unplaced effort on the Matt Vella trained Mea Culpa. His only other ride of the day resulted in a second placing on Stunning To Win for Team Snowden. His left leg felt strong, his balance and coordination unchanged and his nerve intact - all the things he’d been most worried about.
The talented young horseman knew there was only one course of action available to him on the comeback trail, and that was hard work and plenty of it. His attention to trackwork has been intense. He’s at Randwick every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - the three recognised “fast mornings” of the week. He rides seven or eight horses at each session. Despite having a long drive to Newcastle last Saturday, he rode ten horses trackwork before dashing home to prepare for the trip. It’s unlikely any Sydney jockey has competed in more barrier trials these past nine months than Andrew Adkins. “The trials just keep coming at you, but you’ve got to make yourself available,” he said. “Apart from the possible forging of a connection with a decent horse, the trials keep you familiar with the form, and are of tremendous benefit to a jockey’s fitness levels.”
Andrew in the colours he wore in The Hunter. This one was taken after a win on Attention Run for Australian Bloodstock in 2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
His work ethic and dedication have obviously brought him a healthy number of rides but not as many winners as he’d hoped for. “That’s the way it is in Sydney nowadays,” said Andrew. “Realistically there are only two or three chances in most races and about nineteen good jockeys trying to get on them. Many of my rides since returning have been at long odds, but I try to ride them all like 6/4 chances. On odd occasions one of them will bob up, and it does your confidence the world of good.
“These awful lockdowns are the worst possible thing for a person who might be feeling some frustration at work. In normal times I like to sit on the beach, play some golf, go to a coffee shop or occasionally enjoy a beer with mates at the pub. Through the lockdown there was no way to completely forget about racing for a while. Thank God it’s over.”
Long periods of inactivity can be a nightmare for jockeys who are prone to weight gain. Despite his 5’7” or 170cm in height, Andrew doesn’t have a single issue with weight. “Right at the moment I’m walking around at 51 kgs most days,” he says. “When I knew I had the ride on Wandabaa at 52kg in The Hunter, I just needed to watch things closely for a few days and I was able to ride her right on the dot.”
His ability to ride at a featherweight has brought him opportunities in three Group 1 races this year. John O’Shea snapped him up to ride Rondinella in this year’s Sydney Cup at 50kgs, and Andrew did everything right to finish second to Selino in the two miler. At the recent Sydney spring meeting he rode at 50 kgs to run fourth on Zeyrek (Fr) for Team Hawkes in the Metropolitan while he easily made 50.5 kg when among the tailenders on Harmony Rose for Mark Newnham in the Epsom.
He started Epsom day on the right leg with a perfect ride to win the Midway on Fox Fighter for trainer David Payne. His judgement and vigour drew wide praise from trainers and punters who perhaps hadn’t been taking a lot of notice of the twenty four year old jockey in recent months. One week later David Payne put him on the long priced Raging Bull in the Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes in which he finished midfield. “Zeyrek ran a super race in the Metrop to finish fourth but my other two Group 1 rides over the carnival were never a winning chance,” said Andrew. “It didn’t matter. I was just thrilled to be a part of it all.”
Andrew rode Fox Fighter the perfect race to win the Midway at Randwick on Epsom day - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The young jockey knows how it feels to stand upon the Gr 1 victory dais. He was barely out of his time in 2018 when he won the coveted Coolmore Classic on his all time favourite Daysee Doom for his former master and mentor Ron Quinton. He rode the daughter of Domesday in 23 of her 27 starts for 9 wins, six placings and $1.2 million in prize money. “She put me on the map,” says Andrew. “Apart from the Coolmore we won a Dark Jewel Classic, a Golden Pendant and a Millie Fox together. To think I didn’t even enjoy riding her work early days. She went from being a quirky and difficult filly to the most professional of race mares. She was tough and very genuine. To win the Gr 1 for Ron Quinton was the icing on the cake.”
The Coolmore Classic win stands alone as his career highlight so far, but he’s also pretty proud of a Gr 2 Breeders Classic on In Her Time, a Gr 3 Up And Coming Stakes on Dracarys, and a $1 million Golden Gift on Dame Giselle. He also cherishes the 2016/2017 Sydney metropolitan apprentices title with 36 wins.
You’ll meet very few twenty four year olds with a better outlook on the vagaries of life than Andrew Adkins. When asked to nominate the person who most inspired him during his many months on the sidelines his answer was concise. “Ron Quinton was always there for me, but I’ve got to say I was my own best inspiration. Every time I got down in the dumps I just gave myself a good kick in the bum and moved on. There’s no better way.”
Andrew has already tasted Gr. 1 success! He won the 2018 Coolmore Classic on his all time favourite Daysee Doom - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Almost as good as winning! Andrew finished second on Wandabaa in The Hunter - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)