Apprentice Daniel Satchell became the fifth of the new lot 21 to bring home a winner.
Steeped in racing through his family connections, Satchell called curtains on the final race of the day on Saturday by shedding his maiden tag aboard the 9/5 option Brave Prospect. It was the fifth mount of his short career for Satchell who with the lone ride on the 10-race card made no mistake.
“This victory means a lot to me,” Satchell rejoiced afterward “as it helps to take some of the pressure off me, and prepares me to go on from here with a positive mind. There are very good reasons for a young rider to be anxious to get off the mark soon after graduation. The reason is that it seems the longer you stay in getting your first win the longer it takes your career to get off the ground. Many riders with family connections in racing have spent a long time getting off the mark and I did not want the same situation to reach me, so when this victory came along, I was very relieved, to tell the truth.”
One of the reasons Satchell advanced for wanting to get off the mark early is that as a young apprentice not winning races could stymie his career as trainers are not too inclined to give winning rides to late developers.
“Trainers are in the business of winning races and are seeking out those riders who show an aptitude for winning races.
“Therefore, as long as you are winning races, they will take the chance of giving you good rides,” the Waterford, St Catherine resident said. “Since I started to ride this is my fifth mount and in my four previous races, I managed to finish fourth three times.
“You should understand how important this victory is to confidence building and how good it makes me feel. This victory for me is a starting point,” said Satchell who is the son of former jockey Michael Satchell and nephew of Wesley “Callaloo” Henry, said. He further said: “My weight is 48.0 kg, I could be an asset to trainers as I will be in line to be given some good rides in the lightweight class and above. What I need to do now is to continue to work hard and consistent to get the support necessary to advance my career in the saddle as I have a family tradition to maintain and that I believe can only be built on hard work and being trusted.”
