Racing: Bookies cop it when Robertson returns

Stephen McKee. Photo / Richard Robinson

Surely you'd be safe saying no one has ever switched from being a frontline police officer to becoming a jockey.

Certainly if you said, jockey first, then a copper then back to raceday riding.

That was 28-year-old Lisa Robertson, who rode $18 longshot Varnish to victory as her first winner at Ruakaka yesterday.

It was her first ride back after an absence of six years, during which she was in the police force.

"I had only three rides when I was first apprenticed to Caroline Pomare then I has issues with my weight," said Robertson.

"I did two years frontline then worked with youth education."

More recently Robertson has been working at the Manukau Court because the 10am to 6pm hours allow her to ride work in the mornings, but she took two years leave without pay on March 1 to finish her apprenticeship.

"I'm training to run marathons, so by running competitively I don't have issues with my weight any more."

* * *

The response was only to be expected.

When asked if he got out of bed in the middle of the night to watch So You Think's Tattersalls Cup victory on Monday, Bart Cummings scoffed.

"I saw the race (on replay)," Cummings said.

"I wouldn't stay up at night for it. The racing over there isn't worth two bob. He met better horses than that here.

"It might be different when he gets to France, there is better racing there because they don't have bookmakers."

Losing So You Think hurt Bart Cummings, although he said little in public.

The stallion's current form in Ireland gives him an opportunity to sideswipe about his pet hate - corporate bookmakers.

"If the sheikh [Sheikh Mohammed] left England, racing would be closed down in a month," he said.

"When I was last over there I think there were 18 bookmakers in Parliament."

Asked how he felt So You Think looked even if the opposition in two Northern Hemisphere starts has been below what he met in Australia, Cummings said: "Not as good as he did here."

* * *

Stephen McKee trained five of the 11 winners at Ruakaka yesterday, throwing in a $131.40 Rio Delmar-Siberty quinella in the last race.