adminWhen you think of young apprentices in regional NSW the name Zoe Hunt is highly recognisable after a breakout season. The 2024-25 racing season saw the talented rider eclipse 50 winners, and she now proudly has the 1.5kg claim next to her name. 58 wins and 122 placings from 597 starts is the reward for many years of hard work and putting her body through the grind of being a professional jockey.
When you ask Zoe about her journey the word patience is very prevalent. The market is saturated with aspiring senior riders and once the weight relief has been dissolved they can only offset this with grit and determination. Zoe returned from her recent Queensland stint full of confidence, and with some mentoring from the champion Greg Ryan it wasn’t long for her book of rides to fill. She found that the mental side of the game was the most challenging, with the eagerness to please being a weakness that had to be addressed. Taking each race as it comes and clearing the cognitive debris from previous rides became the focus, and it wasn’t long before she caught fire, storming up the rankings.
Zoe has really settled in the west, and she is now looking to be one of the successful, established jockeys in a highly competitive region. She has worked on her style, and the banter is prevalent post gallops as she cheekily ribs her boss about her latest triumph. Clint is very positive when it comes to the evolvement of Zoe as a jockey. “She has ridden our last 3 winners and it’s not hard to sell her credentials. Her claim these days is handy but honestly it’s irrelevant. I back her 100%” Clint commented.
Q&A
Which horse is the one you just have to race ride?
“I’d love to ride Brutal Love. He is big, strong and gives you the feel of a really nice horse. Out of all of the horses in the stable he has to be my number 1 pick”.
Favourite win?
“Watch Me Rumble has to be the one. She was a horse that needed a few favours in running but at Narromine she was so good. It was her last run and her owners will always have that memory”.
Where do you want to be in 2 years time?
“Racing in the west as a prominent female senior. This is my home now”.
What race do you want to win?
“The Queen Of The West. It has been a race dominated by apprentices and I want to win the 2026 edition. Notabadchassis will have to step up and hopefully she has the profile to be there”.
What attribute do you want to keep working on this season?
“Keeping a clear mind”.
Zoe looks to the future with so much positivity regarding her career as a jockey and so she should. The Forbes meeting on the 3rd of August saw her kick off proceedings in style with a perfectly rated ride on Slush Fund, and we expect the highlight reel to spin with haste in 2025-26.
