Jockeys returning from lengthy injury layoffs are always hopeful of an early win. It’s an accepted practice for owners and trainers to observe the progress of a comeback jockey before making rides available. A confident, well judged ride will go a long way towards getting that jockey back in favour. A winner will all but guarantee it. Nobody does it better or faster than Jenny Duggan.
The mature age apprentice had her first race ride in ten months when out of a place on the Damien Lane trained Denetta at Warwick Farm as recently as December 7th. Her one ride at Wyong the following day was unplaced, as were her two rides at Randwick on December 10th. Three days later she arrived at Tamworth with a book of seven rides. To the jockey’s delight one of them provided the early win she’d prayed for. The Mark Mason trained Dubliner Boy led throughout to win a 1200m maiden, just six days after Jenny’s return to the saddle. Before the week was out she’d make an even bigger statement at Royal Randwick.
Jenny and her manager Shaun Flaherty showed sound judgment in declining rides at Saturday’s Newcastle meeting to partner Our Bellagio Miss for Rob and Luke Price in the 1000m BM 78 over 1000m at Randwick - her only mount for the day. After beginning brilliantly from a middle draw the six year old mare enjoyed a perfect run, one out and one back. Jenny produced her at the right time to join a wall of horses involved in a blanket finish. “To be honest I thought I’d finished third,” said the jockey. “It was a pleasant surprise to find I’d won by a whisker from Vowmaster and Lancaster Bomber. My sincere thanks to the Price stable and to Mr. Russell Balding who races the mare with family and friends. Our Bellagio Miss has put me back on the scene in the best possible way.”
Since winning on Our Bellagio Miss the hard working jockey has barely had time to read the reviews. She had five unplaced rides at Taree on Sunday before piloting three horses for trainer Jake Hull at the Hawkesbury trials on Monday morning. She went to Scone on Tuesday for just one ride and was so glad she did. Jenny came from last on the hometurn to win the 1100m maiden on the $31.00 “pop” Behind The Storm for trainer Jeremy Gask. The lightly raced mare scored one of the best maiden wins we’ve seen in recent months.
Jenny grits the teeth as she drives Our Bellagio Miss (no.5 saddle cloth) to the line at Randwick - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Jenny made another spectacular comeback in July of 2021 after an absence of more than a year following a horrific fall at Scone. Her many injuries included a fracture of the occipital condyle - the bone at the base of the neck which articulates with the first cervical vertebrae to control head movements in all directions. The jockey’s recovery astounded her family, friends and specialists. At only her fourth meeting back in the saddle she landed a winning double at Port Macquarie, and the winners continued to flow. Little did she know that the occipital condyle injury would come back to haunt her. Early this year Jenny was experiencing constant pain at the base of the neck but continued to ride until the situation became unmanageable.
A third placing on Blood River at Goulburn in mid February gave the gutsy rider her second Rising Stars Championship Series. A couple of days later she put her riding career on hold to investigate the reason for her interminable neck pain. Exhaustive tests revealed inflammation on the right side of the troublesome occipital condyle. “Strangely enough I was getting the pain on the left side,” Jenny explained. “My specialist explained that in compensating for the inflammation I was carrying the load on the left side. I didn’t realise it, but I was starting to lean to the left permanently. He didn’t mince his words in telling me to forget about riding racehorses until the inflammation had a chance to settle down. He also ordered extensive rehab to get my body back into alignment.”
Jenny couldn't believe her luck in riding a Randwick winner just 10 days after regenerating her career - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Following weeks of chiropractic and physiotherapy sessions, Jenny found herself unsettled and struggling to accept the inevitability of a long time on the sidelines. With the blessing of husband Ben she decided on a long holiday in her native Sweden with her two Australian born sons Max (7) and Sebastian (5). “My step daughter Maddy stayed home to look after Dad, and I jetted off to Sweden with my boys,” said Jenny. “It was the best thing that could have happened. We were away for seven weeks and it was so grounding to rekindle childhood memories on my parents’ farm at Figeholm near Stockholm. The boys loved every minute of the experience, and I caught up with many old friends. It was wonderful to spend so much time with my parents Tony and Lisa. Best of all I stopped thinking about my sore neck and by the time our holiday was over, the neck pain had disappeared. There’s a bit of truth in the mind over matter theory.”
Jenny with her first Rising Star Championship trophy 2018/2019. In attendance were husband Ben, stepdaughter Maddy, sons Sebastian and Max and a young supporter - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
On returning to Australia the rejuvenated jockey decided on a gradual return to race riding. She availed herself of the opportunity to use a spacious arena owned by her good friend, horse trainer Tina Williams. For one full month Jenny did nothing but trot and canter around that arena on a quiet gelding. Her return to trackwork was equally unspectacular. “I rode work for close to two months for several local trainers, always monitoring the comfort factor of my lower neck,” she said. “In hindsight I should have adopted a similar approach after the Scone fall.”
Jenny rides regular trackwork at Wyong and Gosford and puts in an appearance at Warwick Farm one day a week. “I like to ride some work for Bjorn Baker who has been very supportive of me in recent years,” said the jockey. “Only a few weeks ago he gave me a couple of rides at Randwick to help me get back into the swing of things.”
The Bjorn Baker trained Cantonese is one of Jenny's favourites. She won 5 races on the gelding including this one at Rosehill 24/11/2012 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The Jenny Duggan story is well documented. She travelled to Sydney with friend Emma Hansson in 2003 and before long was riding trackwork at Warwick Farm for trainers like Bill Prain, Oliver Koolman and Steve Englebrecht. After a year in the big smoke she decided on a stint in Port Macquarie where she landed a job with Marc Quinn. By this time Jenny had met amateur jockey Ben Duggan who followed her to the mid north coast. It was Ben who talked her into joining him on the picnic circuit. Within a matter of weeks Ms. Jenny Lindgren was riding in races in parts of NSW which bore no resemblance to her native Figeholm.
“I rode all sorts of horses in all sorts of places for two seasons,” said Jenny. “Navigating horses around tight turning tracks taught me how to keep them balanced. There’s no doubt the experience made me a better race rider. In the 2009/2010 season I was chuffed to become the first female to win a NSW Amateur Jockeys Premiership. It’s now history that Ben and I went to see the appropriate person at Racing NSW to lobby for increased riding fees in the amateur ranks. I was a little miffed when one of the officials told me I should turn pro if I wanted to earn more money. Two positive things happened out of that meeting. We were successful in getting an increase in riding fees, and I was motivated to get my weight down and join the professional ranks.”
The Swedish born rider won at her very first professional appearance, combining with trainer Anthony Dable to win a Cl 2 at Port Macquarie on Kapcat. In the decade since that life changing success the former Ms Lindgren has forged a reputation as a jockey of innate talent and boundless integrity. From very limited opportunities in black type races she was thrilled to post a stakes double late last year on Torrens, one of her all time favourite horses. This time last year she won the City Tatt’s Cup and The Beauford at Newcastle on the son of Adelaide. The trainer was Lauri Parker (nee Wray) with whom Jenny had frequently ridden in races.
The girls fought out the finish of the City Tatts Cup. Jenny on Torrens gets the better of Rachel King on Savvy Valentino in the closing stages - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Almost twenty years after arriving in Australia Jenny has established successful careers in both the amateur and professional riding ranks, met and married an Aussie horseman who would become the father of her two sons, and provide her with a stepdaughter who is among her most cherished friends. Her apprenticeship should have finished early this year, but lengthy injury enforced layoffs enabled her to gain an extension from Racing NSW. That extension will expire on February 7th 2023, and with it will go that valuable 2kg city claim. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more focused jockey than Jenny Duggan on Sydney metropolitan tracks over the next six weeks.
My favourite Jenny Duggan photo! She was poetry in motion in this win on Seababe at Canterbury 2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - The smile says it all! Jenny returns on a Randwick winner 10 days after resuming her riding career - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)