Kelsey Hannan is quickly stamping herself as one of the apprentice jockeys to follow in the north.
The Cambridge rider continued her purple patch of form in the saddle at Te Rapa on Saturday when recording a winning double courtesy of the Andrew Forsman-trained pair of White Noise and Good Oil.
While it was her second career double, Hannan was over the moon to get the results at a feature meeting.
“It was pretty cool to get a double on a feature day,” Hannan said. “I had one at Cambridge previously, but to get those results at a feature meeting is something special.”
Hannan opened her account aboard White Noise in the Savabeel 1400 and she was confident of his chances despite the Heavy10 track conditions.
“He was pretty awesome,” she said. “I was confident in the way that he had trialled a week prior at Avondale, and he had been galloping really well at Cambridge.”
While the El Roca gelding’s spring plans are yet to be finalised, Hannan would love to stay on the Group Three winner.
“We haven’t talked about it too much, I will wait and see what happens, but I would love to keep riding him,” she said.
Hannan was just as animated about her win aboard Good Oil in the Super Seth Mile (1600m), her second consecutive victory on the gelding.
“He is a tough little horse and one of my stable favourites at Andrew’s,” Hannan said.
“He has got a bit of an attitude about him that I find quite funny. He tries really hard as well.”
Indentured to Shaun Phelan at Cambridge, Hannan is loving life at the moment and is riding a crest of a wave, having already won six races in the last month, just four shy of her tally last season.
“I have never been happier than I am at the moment. Shaun looks after me so well and he is such a good mentor,” the 19-year-old said.
“I am keeping a close watch on it (win tally), it is quite exciting. I want to get as far up (the jockeys’ premiership) as I can.”
Originally from Ruakaka, Hannan has been enjoying spending time in her hometown over the last week with a team of horses from Phelan’s barn.
“We brought a team up on the 20th (of August) and we have been up here the whole time. The team is working really well so we are hoping for some good results,” she said.
“It is just easier to stay at the beach with the horses for work, but I have made time to go and see everyone.
“It is quite refreshing catching up with some old friends, I like being home.”
While enjoying her time in Northland, Hannan will trek back south on Wednesday to ride at Cambridge where she has highlighted Aoide in the Maneline Cambridge 970 and The Buffer in the Manning Investments LTD 1300 as her two best chances of the day.
“Aoide should go well. She has got the blinkers on this time and I think that will really help her out,” Hannan said.
“The Buffer has been working really well at Ruakaka. I think he is another good chance.”