RIDING TO WIN AT RICCARTON

WORDS Kim Newth PHOTOS Sarah Rowlands

Seasoned Christchurch jockey Terry Moseley clocked career win number 1000 at Riccarton Racecourse in 2017 and still loves nothing more than storming home there in first place. At 52, he’s just had his best South Island racing season ever having racked up 51 wins and a stakes tally of almost one million dollars.

He’ll be back on track at Riccarton during Bloom (Cup and Show Week) and, at the time of writing, had his sights set on riding Gore galloper Nomen Ludi for the Christchurch Casino NZ Cup. With luck, he’d also like to repeat the success he had last year riding Prince Oz to first place in the Stewards’ Stakes Handicap (1200m) for Riccarton trainer Neill Ridley.

Winning the NZ Cup on Torlesse in 2003 is one of Terry’s treasured career highlights, shared with trainers Mandy and Matt Brown.

“It’s still a jewel in the crown for me. Of course, it’s the association with people like Mandy and Matt that make the achievements truly memorable. I’ve probably had close to 100 winners with them.”

Terry loves the trackside buzz of the whole week. “A lot of people come from out of town to enjoy the racing and socialising. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Growing up in rural South Taranaki, Terry was immersed in the world of horses and training from a young age. His father Peter ‘Whiz’ Moseley worked hard, training a small team. One of his equine protégés, Blue Lodge, won the 1960 New Zealand Derby. On leaving school, it was a natural step for Terry to take up an apprenticeship with his father; he achieved his first win in 1984. Terry’s sister, Dianne, pursued the same career path and blazed the trail for women jockeys in New Zealand before being forced to retire as a result of a serious fall. Terry is particularly proud of a Group III race he won at Trentham in 1985, riding a horse trained by his sister, Silver Samurai. After a short stint of racing in the United States, Terry moved to Christchurch in late 1989 where he won the support of Riccarton trainer Michael Pitman and Tuahiwi-based trainer Ray Harris. “I was a very ordinary jockey to start with, so it was fantastic to have that help and loyalty to get established.”

There have been many other influential trainers in Terry’s career, including Riccarton trainer Barbara Blackie, who passed away this year. “She was just such a great person. She was awarded a QSM and was one of the founding members of RDA (Riding for the Disabled) here.”

It is an organisation that means a lot to Terry and his wife Paula, whose 14-year-old son Alex is autistic and has benefitted from riding activities through the RDA. The couple also have a 16-year-old daughter, Taylor.
As a husband and father, Terry is very conscious of the physical risks associated with his career. He can recall five fatalities on the track and, despite being very safety conscious, has been injured in falls himself (including a broken wrist from a fall at Wingatui, near Dunedin).

“If your confidence goes, it can take a while to get it back again. You just need to pick yourself up off the ground and get going.”

Terry has toyed with the idea of hanging up his saddle but reckons there is still nothing else he’d rather do. “It involves a lot of heartache and hard work, but I still love to ride – the racing industry is what I know best.”