Daniel Stackhouse: Ex-Canterbury jockey discusses preparations for Cup and Show week

Ex-pat Canterbury jockey Daniel Stackhouse has returned home, riding at Riccarton across Cup and Show Week. 

He’s bringing his talent and experience to one of the biggest weeks in the racing calendar, and joined Lesley Murdoch to look back at the week and discuss how he prepares for the races.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All the Talk, All the spot, Canterbury's of All Sport
breakfast with Leslie Murdock and Mighty ten makers supporting local
proudly key we owned and operated news talks. It'd be
Archaic Smile follows Sir Robert, Matt Scott brought to the outside.
They're across the track and the tab Mile and Cannon
Hill's gone to the front. Sir Elbert, Chaser's hard Mystic
Park let ripped down the middle of then Archaic Smile,

(00:21):
Canon Hill, Leeds Mystic Park closing Sir Elbert between the
pier right down the outside. Mystic Park has a narrow lead,
Sirral that's coming again. Here's that puss tight maybe Mystic Park,
Mystic Park. Maybe just from Sirralber It's a photo Thid
and Cannon Hill and then Archaic Smile.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
He's exciting action out at Rickenon on Wednesday the tab
Mile Mystic Park and ridden by jockey Daniel Stackhouse. Dan
joins us, good morning, good morning.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Can you getting on.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Very good brings picks and sparkly memories from Wednesday?

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, yeah, it's not take at the feature there on Wednesday, So.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Talk to us a little bit about how where you've
come from, because we know that you were an as
well you always will be an Ashburton boy. But you
have been one of the form jockeys in Australia for
how many years?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
I think it was working out the other day. It's
only been there or for fourteen years now in Australia.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
So how old were you when you went over?

Speaker 3 (01:23):
So I was twenty twenty one when I first moved
over as an apprentice to go join Peter Moody camp.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
And you were you did your most of you were
early writing here though, didn't you or with your you
were doing some farm work with your dad, but then
you went You were at a one of the horse
stables here in christ churchouldn't you No.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
I started off an espernant Ricky and Sharon do right
and then moved up to Tiakia in Mata Matta. Had
a few weight issues, so I took a year off
and then I got back and associated with Pam Gurrard
and Tommy Haslett and rode over the jarm and then
my weight just seemed to have ventu it better from there,
so started riding back on the flat and then I

(02:08):
want a scholarship to go over to Australia to ride
for Peter Murdy for two weeks and then once I
come back to New Zealand, he actually asked me to
go back to Australia and be apprenticed to him. So
I did that and just stayed on and the rest
probably history.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
So is it more opportunity over there? Is there just
more races and you can be busier, there's.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
More money, Yeah, all of those things. There is a
lot more racing, a lot more money. But you also
have to put the work in to succeed over there
as well, Like you really have to work and be
dedicated to your job, and it is full on and
probably be a lot more professional and where you go
about things. It's a pretty full on lifestyle. But it's

(02:51):
really good.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
The competition is massive, I mean way more than here
in New Zealand, so you can imagine what it's like
over there. You talk to a little bit earlier about
your weight, I mean, is that the most difficult thing
you've got to contend with?

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent. It's quite a daily thing to
look after you weight, especially over springtime because you normally
have to do ride a lot lighter than usual because
of those Group one races or those bigger races you
can get if you get down the weights, you can
pick up ride, so that's something you really try to
focus on over this time of the year. But riding

(03:26):
every day probably helps. Being fat, nets fit and active
definitely a big positive as well.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
So what do you do to get ready for the
last race meet for New Zealand Cup and show week
out at record and today it's now what ten to eight?
What are you going to do to fill your day?

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Well, I'll just ran the baths and having a cup
of coffee at the moment, so I'll sit in the
bath for an hour, trill dow some weight and then
there's a gym where I'm staying, so I'll go to
the gym and have a train at the gym and
probably sitting a sauder after that. So it'll take up
to three hours to do all those things and then
get ready for the races to go.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Who are you riding today?

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Writing mostly for Michael Pittman. He flew me over to
ride his horses, so most of my writers are for him.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Well fantastic because of course we've got the Albaesti Equi
World New Zealand two thousand guinees. You'll be keen on
that one.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I'm ding a bit awkward there
obviously for Stephen marsh. So Thinger's crossed got the favorite
outside of me, so make might just get on its
back and can tow me into the race and hopefully
you can go past it.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
And after New Zealand Cup and choke, where do you
go back to oz, back.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
To Australia tomorrow morning at six a m and then
straight back into work on Monday.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Oh gosh, we admire and respect what you do. That
is a tough gig. It's a tough well. I mean,
there's the joy of winning, but man, it's not an
easy life, is it.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
No, it's at of probably behind the scenes that people
don't really see that a jockey has to go through
and all the staff and everything like that. Like, it's
a very big industry. People that dedicate a lot of
time and effort into the horses, and the horses are
very well cared for. So yeah, it is nice when
you when you do, when those will get those big results,
that all makes all West worlds Well.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
You're a champ for coming to the phone and being
on air with us Dan Stackhouse. We wish you all
the very best and the big race today out at Rickadon.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
No, thank you very much. Appreciate you Tom.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
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