10 2026 COUNTRY ACHIEVER AWARD A CHAMPION AT HEART Among Alderson’s career highlights is the 2009 Australian Hurdle win of Hooker Road – a horse she trained in partnership with her father, which made it all that more special. For all her individual accomplishments, the collaborative nature of racing – the owners, the team, the family – is where she finds her deepest satisfaction. In 2022, the industry formally acknowledged her contribution when she was named the Wakeful Club Lady of Racing, joining an honour roll that includes Michelle Payne, Jamie Melham and Amanda Elliott. For Alderson, the recognition was humbling, but she chose to highlight the efforts of women in the industry as a whole. “The transformation over the last five to ten years has been amazing,” she said of the racing industry. Jigsaw ventured across the Tasman to New Zealand to claim his first Group 1, taking out the time-honoured Railway Stakes at Ellerslie. (Image credit: Therese Davis/Race Images NZ) When I started out there were virtually no lady trainers, no lady jockeys, and now I don’t think it will be long until we take it over. The thing I love about the racing industry and women is that we can compete on an equal playing field. We don’t have to ask for a handicap – and I think that’s a fabulous place to be. " “
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