APPRENTICE JOCKEY JABEZ JOHNSTONE
Jabez gives Afterberna a well-earned pat after victory at Caulfield last start. (Image credit: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)
Now settled into his own place five minutes from the Cranbourne track, with a routine that involves being up at 3:30am, at the track by 4am then off to the races all day, the routine is demanding. But when you’re riding for one of the best trainers in Australia, the early alarms feel less like a sacrifice and more like a privilege. Off the track, he’s doing his form, watching replays at home, obsessing over the one-percenters, and studying the rider he admires most: James McDonald. “If you can perfect the first half of your race and give your horse every chance late, that’s what wins you the race,” he says. “James McDonald can achieve things that most can’t, as far as putting himself where he needs to be. That’s why he’s the best jockey in the world.” RSN’s Trav Noonan has already declared him the most in-demand apprentice in Victoria this winter, and the spring is firmly in his sights too. “If there’s a really light opportunity in a good race come springtime, I’ll be grabbing that with both hands,” he says.
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