Big crowds for a mid-week race meeting are expected at Te Awamutu today, hoping for a record-breaking achievement from jockey Michael Walker.
Walker, 17, is sitting on 162 wins for the season, equal with Lance O'Sullivan's record, and he has seven chances to break it today.
"He's the teen idol of New Zealand racing without doubt," the Waipa Racing Club president, Richard Otto, said yesterday.
"A lot of locals are planning to come here in the hope that he can break the record. It will be great for racing when he does get it and we hope it can be here."
Should Walker gain the record today, in just his second full season of race riding, it will be the second major jockey's achievement at Te Awamutu.
In November 1977 Te Awamutu was the scene of the first ride, and first win, by a female jockey against the males in New Zealand when Canadian Joan Phipps won aboard Daphalee.
Walker has gone up and down New Zealand in search of the record, becoming the first jockey to ride in more than 1000 races in a season and clocking up many air miles in the process.
Many would find it exhausting, but Walker said it hadn't bothered him.
"It hasn't really got to me and I still feel pretty fresh," he said.
"But I might take a week off some time this season."
Walker went to 162 after riding five winners at Hastings last Thursday but he couldn't improve on that number despite full books of rides at Awapuni on Saturday and Paeroa on Sunday.
"It was tough but the horses all had their chances," he said.
"It will come some time."
Walker's boss Allan Sharrock said it might not happen today.
"He hasn't got the greatest book of rides at Te Awamutu but you never know how they will run for him," Sharrock said.
O'Sullivan said he wasn't too concerned about the prospect of Walker breaking the record.
"These records are made to be broken and Michael is a tremendous talent who has worked incredibly hard for this record," he said.
"He's well balanced and horses run for him.
"I'm not worried about it but I hope he breaks it soon. I'm getting tired of the other jockeys telling me 'it's going to be this one, Lance'."
O'Sullivan's record, set in the 1996-97 season, came from just 606 rides at a strike rate of a winner every 3.74 rides. Walker's strike rate this season is 6.65.
- NZPA
Racing: Te Awamutu anticipating record-breaking ride
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