47 MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB 46 Lizzie Jelfs wearing a REVIEW dress and holding the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes trophy and Ladbrokes Cox Plate. By MVRC Staff Q & A wi th Lizzie Jelfs We sat down recently with our Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival Ambassador Lizzie Jelfs to talk about all things racing. And a bit more. To be announced as the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival Ambassador, how excited are you? At what age did horse racing start for you… you were born into it? The Mighty FOO was one of the great Cox Plate horses. Was he your favourite? You did your racing apprenticeship with the Hayes team. What did you learn from your time there? I’m really excited, It’s been a race that I’ve been very connected to since I moved out from the UK. It’s such an iconic race within the racing calendar here in Australia and it’s so well known overseas as well. I feel it’s a very good fit for me being a purist and being someone connected not only from a media perspective but also working in the stables with horses that have contested a Cox Plate. I know how difficult it is to not only get them in but to win the race. I’m super proud to be an Ambassador as it is such a wonderful race. No, I’m not born into racing. I have no racing connection at all. I’m just a girl who loved horses and was really invested in being around horses. I think I first rode a horse when I was about 4 when I went to a show… a fete in England and my nanny put me on a horse. I remember loving it and pestering my parents to take me to riding lessons. I ended getting a pony and doing pony club. My dad had horses when I was younger, but he learned along the way, like I did. When it came to the time of heading off to university or what I wanted to do, I decided to take a year out and come to Australia. I had just started working in racing in the UK, so I used what I had learned and that was my first proper foray into racing when I started out here. It was amazing for me because you get to work with really talented people within the organisation and some really nice horses. It was a great learning curve. I got to work alongside Tony McEvoy initially. Gary Hennessy was another who was integral to what I know today. And then David Hayes of course when he came back from Hong Kong. He was very hands-on, and I worked very closely with him. You can’t pay for that sort of education – you never stop learning. He gave me the biggest thrills. I was very light at the time, he’d had an injury, and they (the Hayes stable) wanted me to ride him in work. He was kind of like an old gentleman and looked after me. And to then manage to win a Cox Plate – he holds a very special place in my heart. I remember being in that grandstand and seeing a sea of pink for the Lonhro fans. Fields of Omagh came to the top of the straight and he surged to the line. I saw him change legs under Steven King, I thought we are actually going to win this. You can hear the entire Q & A with Lizzie on our podcast
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