The Full Story

PROFILES

This page lets you learn about the men and women in the jumps industry and give you a little inside scope to their favourite horses, tracks and some of their favourite memories!

Portia Matthews

Portia Matthews 26 I often go to Australia to ride in the high weights but this year I’ve had a short holiday then been back at the stables doing the breakers and getting the younger horses going over summer. I work for Mark Oulaghan and I’ve been based with him for over 2 years now. I got into jumps racing through Shelley Houston I was schooling a lot of horses for her and she sent me down the country I stayed a week at John Wheeler a week at Paul Nelson‘s and a week at Kevin Myers and I was lucky enough for Mr Wheeler to put me on a couple at one of the point to points in the central districts and through those experiences I decided that it was something that I wanted to do once I finished university. My first race day ride over jumps was on 6th June 2022 at Hawkes Bay in maiden hurdle, I had ridden in amateur races the winter previous. My aim for the future would be to consistently improve my race riding, but also experience as much as I can as a jockey through the industry and different opportunities. My best horse is Berry the Cash I’ve ridden him in all of his jumping starts and he’s been a key player in the success of my career, but also West Coast who I work very closely with on a daily basis. If i could ride anyone it would be Raaj he’s an old jumper that Shelley Houston had in training at the end of his career, he would’ve been the first experienced jumps horse that I’d ridden and I would say he’s probably the horse that gave me the jumps racing bug and made me want to become a jockey. Prior to schooling him I had only ever taught younger racehorses to learn how to jump, it would be awesome to pop him over some hurdles again and see how far I’ve come. My favourite jumping racecourse would have to be Riccarton because I’ve had some of my biggest highs there as well as some of my lowest lows and I think that really sums up racing in itself, you can’t have the highs without the lows. I’d love to ride around Aintree racecourse, I think that would be such a cool experience.

Corrina McDougal

Name: Corrina McDougal

Training Centre: Hastings

How long have you been training for? I had my first starter in the 2004/2005 season. I trained 17 winners, including 1x hurdle & 1x Steeplechase winner. Then, I entered a partnership with Paul Nelson in May 2019.

Best accomplishment so far? 2nd in the G1 Livamol with Peso on my home track. But my personal one was No Tip winning the Ferguson Gold Cup (Steeplechase). It was originally a Steeplechase at Gisborne which is where Carol is from. It meant a lot to me as Paul & Carol bred, owned and trained No Tip, and he was a favourite of mine. Sometimes, it's not the big ones that mean the most.

The best horse trained? The Cossack

Horse you’d like to train (past or present):

Favourite jumping racecourse? Wellington

How did you get into jumping? I thought I might be a school teacher…. While I was at teachers college, I went and worked for Mark Oulaghanin in the mormons. I did school the odd horse but didn't have much idea about the racing world. I met Paul & Carol while I was there and when I'd decided teachers college wasn't for me I started working up at Airhill for the Nelsons.

What do you do in the off-season? Keep working horses! Educating young ones and some flat horses and squeezing in a holiday.

Racecourse you would like to attend: Aintree

Aims for the future: I don’t know why, but I've always wanted to train an Oaks winner. But mostly to keep producing quality jumpers.

Kylan Wiles

Name: Kylan Wiles

Age: 18

Who do you work for? My dad (Dean Wiles) & Mark Forbes mostly. Ride a few others at the track.

What do you do in the off season? Spend time with friends and family.

How long have you been race riding? 4 years, 2 years as an Amateur then 2 years as a jumps jockey.

Biggest accomplishment so far? Winning the Pakuranga Hunt Cup in 2024 on Ima Wonder

Best horse ridden: Ima Wonder

Aims for the future: Win the premiership and more big races.

Horse you’d like to ride (Past or Present): West Coast

Favourite jumping racecourse? Te Rapa Jumping in front of the crowd

How did you get into jumps racing? I used to watch jump racing all the time when i was young and about 2 years ago I thought I may as well have a go while my weight was ok.

Paul Mirabelli

Name: Paul Mirabelli

Training Centre: Cambridge

How long have you been training for? I have been training since 2008, and my best jumper so far has been The Midnight Shift. He won the HB hurdles as a 6yo.

Best accomplishment so far? Winning the Hawkes Bay Hurdles

The best horse trained? The Midnight Shift

What I do in the off-season: Break the future stars in

Horse you’d like to train (past or present): Crown Star - in front and out of trouble

Favourite jumping racecourse? Te Aroha and I would love to win a chase there with Charred this season.

How did you get into jumping? Even as a teenager and into my 20s, I have always liked jumping horses. So the combination of racing and jumping is dynamic.

Aims for the future: To win a feature race with one of my two horses this year.

How long have you been training? Just over 30 years - 23 of them were in
partnership with my dad, Evan. I worked for dad from the age of 16. Also did
a stint with Mike Moroney when Monaco Consul won the Derby which was
fabulous.
What do you do in the off season? I still have a summer team going. But I
like to spend time with family & friends. Going fishing with my partner Peter.
How did you get into jumps racing? I started off at Pony Club as a kid then I
was lucky enough to travel around with Tim & Trish Pearce and did a lot of
Showjumping. Dad had a lot of jumpers when we were in Marton and had a
great set up with xc jumps in the carpark out onto the main track onto the live
fences. I used to school a lot of horses and had a few jumping trials. There's
something special about training a jumper. It's such an accomplishment when
they win as so much time and effort goes into preparing them.
Biggest accomplishment so far? Railway with Start Wondering, Great
Northern Hurdles with Lord Spencer. 2x Wellington Steeples. 2x HB Steeples.
Best horse you’ve trained? Start Wondering (Flat), Mr Mor, Van Winkle &
Lord Spencer.
Horse you’d most like to train (past or present)? Would give anything for
another Van Winkle. Won his first race as a 2yo and had his best season as a
10yo.
Favourite jumping racecourse? Hands down Riccarton
Racecourse you’d most like to win at? Riccarton
Goals for the season? Win the Grand National with Lord Spencer

JJ Rayner

What do you do in the off season? Alot of fishing and Boating
Who do you work for? Dad - Dean Wiles, Mark Forbes, Sam Logan &
Denise Venn
How did you get into jumps racing? I always wanted to ride raceday but
always thought my weight was too heavy but through determination and hard
work i got my weight down to ride 1 year of Amateurs and then got into jumps
racing although its hard with my weight I love it.
How long have you been race riding? 2 years
Biggest accomplishment so far? Running 2nd in the Koral Steeplechase
Horse you’d most like to ride (past or present)? The Cossack
Favourite racecourse to ride at? Riccarton
Goals for the season? To win more races and improve my riding.

Corey Wiles

How long have you been training? 6 Years

What do you do in the off season? Train flat horses

How did you get into jumps racing? Anne Browne

Biggest accomplishment so far? Wellington Hurdles & Wanganui Guineas

Best horse you’ve trained? Is That So

Horse you’d most like to train (past or present)? Sweynesse

Favourite jumping racecourse? Wellington

Racecourse you’d most like to win at? Riccarton

Goals for the season? To get Aigne to win after being retired for 2 years

Clinton Isdale

Who do you work for? Apprenticed to Robbie Patterson What do you do in the off season? I don't really have an off season - riding on the flat and riding over jumps keeps me busy all year round.

How long have you been riding? I've been riding raceday for 6 seasons mixing flat and jumps.

Biggest accomplishment so far? Winning the Great Northern Hurdles on Lord Spencer in 2024

Best horse you've ridden? Lord Spencer

Horse you’d most like to ride (past or present)? Berry The Cash or The Cossack

Favourite jumping racecourse? Riccarton

Racecourse you’d like to win at? I'd love to win the Wellington Steeples

Goals for the season? Try and keep the trainers and Owners happy and keep improving my riding.

Lemmy Douglas

Off season: Ride trackwork,run a few cattle on our farm,eat ice cream for breakfast.

Race riding: started over jumps in 2017

Biggest achievement: I lead the national jockeys premiership for 30 mins in the 2021/22 season (won race 1 on August 1) and winning a steeplechase at the grand national carnival was a big thrill.

Best horse ridden : Bak da master (5 wins)

Most like to ride: Constitution Hill (UK) present looks like a jet, Ima Heroine (NZ) past. Use to ride her work. Called her the big girl because she was tiny but had a big heart.

Favourite course: Rotorua because it's the closest to my house. Every meeting should be there. The catering for the jockeys is the best and they have a sauna.

Course to win at : Woodville. I enjoy riding there but yet to ride a winner but a winner anywhere will do.

Goals for the season: win a feature race would be the ultimate goal

Michael Roustaby

What do you do in the off season? I fly home to the UK and ride the English jumps season as the seasons are opposite to NZ.

How long have you been race riding? I have been race riding for 3 years, 2 in the UK and last winter here which was a brilliant opportunity.

Biggest accomplishment so far? Coming second in the Grand National to West Coast on Auld Jock. We were beaten ¾ of a length which was disappointing but an amazing experience at the same time.

Best horse you’ve ridden? Auld Jock as he wouldn’t be the biggest horse but he has a big heart and always gives his rider everything he has.

Horse you’d most like to ride (Past or Present)? Honeysuckle, she was a tough mare and won 17 of her 19 starts

Favourite Jumping Racecourse? Wellington - I love the figure of 8 and the doubles and the live fences

Racecourse you’d most like to win at? Wellington - I was just beaten there by The Cossack last winter in the Wellington steeplechase on Auld Jock so it would be great to win there.

Goals for the season? To try and win some prestigious races and to finish in the top 3 for the jockey championship

Joshua Parker

Matthew Cropp

What do you do in the off season? This season has been a bit of a setbackas I've been recovering from a broken femur but normally I continue to ridetrackwork and young horses

How long have you been race riding? I have been jumping and riding horses on the flat for 16 years. I started my apprenticeship on the flat in the2007/2008 season and did the jumpers through my apprenticeship.

Biggest accomplishment so far? Winning the Great Northern steeplechaseon Te Kahu in 2021 at Te Aroha because it's such a family affair race with my grandfather Ron Cropp training Hunterville to win the race 3 times in a rowand keep it in the family.

Best horse you’ve ridden? That’s a hard question as I've been lucky to rideso many nice jumpers, but if I have to put it down to a couple then I think Captains Run as an up and coming horse but Wee Biskit holds a special placebecause she was such a tough little mare.

Horse you’d most like to ride (Past or Present)? Red Rum definitely

Favourite Jumping Racecourse? Ellerslie and OakbankRacecourse you’d most like to win at? Warnambool during their carnival

Goals for the season? To get myself back to race riding after the injury i’ve had and ride winners

Emily Farr

Who do you work for?

I mainly work for Wexford Stables with Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. I also ride for Kilmarnock Stables which is the Pre-Training yard for Wexford. I try and keep busy so I end my mornings riding work for Waikato Stud.

What do you do on your off season?

My main priority is to keep Lance and Andrew happy as scaring them to death throughout the jump season is something I love doing!

I don’t really stop riding track work through my off season as I enjoy keeping fit throughout the Summer. I enjoy going to the big meetings, full of great fashion and fast horses. I also try to get back to the UK to see my parents when it all fits in.

Away from horses, I love going to the beach, hanging with friends and attending music concerts. We always let loose alittle.

How did you first get involved in the racing industry?

I was born and bred on a hill farm in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales surrounded by the love of horses and racing. I was on a pony before I could walk. Riding was always on the cards with horse obsessed parents like mine. They taught me to ride and I competed through the show jumping ranks representing my Wales until I was old enough to race. Jump Racing was the biggest interest at home. Mum and Dad were both Amateur Champion Jump Jockeys in the UK. They trained Point-to-Point Race horses throughout my childhood and I used to ride work and watch them race until I became old enough to have my first raceday ride. My university placement year landing me here in New Zealand and I fell in love with the country and haven’t looked back since.

How long have you been race riding for?

I had my first jumps ride when I was 16years old on a homebred in a point to point in Wales. I had to take a year off raceday riding when I had open heart surgery when I was 18 years old however my passion for the jump racing industry couldn’t be stopped and I returned to the sport as soon as I could. I returned more determined than ever then came to New Zealand and became a Jumps Jockey with the help and guidance of former Jumps Jockey, Craig Thornton.

I rode 9months as an apprentice here and then decided my heart always lay with the Jumps

Biggest accomplishment in the Industry?

I have had quite a few wins that are extremely special to me- I enjoy teaching thoroughbreds to jump so there are jumpers that have come out and won first time out of hurdles that provides me huge self gratification.

Riding and producing the former NZ Cup winner ‘Gobstopper’ to win his first start over hurdles and then going on to win the Dreschler Hurdle, Pakenham, in Australia was a huge thrill for me.

However winning 4 races from 4 rides on a day for Trainer Craig Phelan at Te Aroha racecourse will be an achievement I doubt will ever happen again. It was a dream come true.

Aims for the future

I would love to ride 100 winners, I am very close and I will not be fully satisfied until I achieve that.

Best horse I’ve ever ridden

I currently ride a lot of fast horses at Wexford Stables and I love my job there. In the past, flat horses that come to mind are Two Illicit , I rode her everyday for Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Elephant trained by Emmalee and David Browne- he was a machine; also Asterix is another one for Wexford Stables.

In the UK- I was luckily enough to ride Potters Corner, who won the Welsh Grand National for trainer Christian Williams.

As a Jumper I would have to say Laekeeper, Just Got Home or Gobstopper. They were all incredible jumpers and taught me a lot through my career.

Horse you would love to ride, past or present.

I would of love to have ridden Istabraq, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by JP McManus- he won 23 hurdle races from 29 starts including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham 3 times and many more. He was the pinnacle of Jump Racing in my Childhood and regarded as one of the best hurdlers of all time. Small but mighty.

Favourite Jumping Racecourse?

It would have to be either Riccarton or Wellington, both extremely tactical and always a great atmosphere on the big day.

Racecourse you would love to ride at?!

Obviously Aintree or Cheltenham are incredible however I would love to ride around Nakayama in Japan where they hold the Nakayama Grand Jump. It’s both left and right handed and I just love watching it on TV.

Toni Moki

Name: Toni Moki

Who do you work for? Ride out at Te Aroha Racecourse

What do you do in the off season? I usually enjoy summer a little too much during the off season but sometimes, like this summer I’ve kept fit by fighting/boxing.

How long have you been riding raceday? About 5 years on and off

Biggest accomplishment so far? Of my career so far is that, this year for the first time Im fit and at weight before the first highweight.

Best horse ridden: I was lucky enough to ride West Coast in his first 2 hurdle starts and even then he was one of the best jumpers I’d sat on.

Aims for the future: No suspensions or fines so I have a season that doesn't end up costing me money

Horse you’d like to ride (Past or Present): Smart Hunter of Mrs Brownes

Favourite jumping racecourse? Ellerslie

Racecourse you’d most like to win at? Nakayama

Hamish McNeill

Name: Have the whole thing… Hamish Albert McNeill Nickname: been called them all and respond to most🤷🏻‍♂️😂

Age: 29

What do I do in the off season?

The same thing I do during the season😂 not a lot haha, no, during the off season I usually tend to do a few breakers during the summer and this year has involved a lot of golf I work for Shaun and Emma Clotworthy.

How did you get into racing?

Was born into racing I guess, most of my my dads side of the family has an involvement in it from owning training or even riding, so yeah, in my eyes the path was set fairly early ongot my amateur license at 16, rode a season p2p back in the uk before moving to NZ in 2013, so 14 years (had a few sidelines with injury along the way to go with it)

Biggest accomplishment so far?

Apart from still being able to use all my limbs and remember my name… I’d say it would have to be Abu Dhabi in the Great Northern Hurdle, there’s a few factors behind it, with the story behind the horse and journey he took to get there, I also thought I gave it a pretty ballsy ride

Goals for the season?

Ultimately it would have to be the premiership

Best horse youve ridden?

I’ve been lucky enough to sit on so good horses back in the uk and here just with how long I’ve been around, but out here there’s no horse that’s ever given me a feeling like The Cossack did in the Wellington Chase.

Horse you'd love to ride past or present?

There’s a steeplechaser going round back in the uk called Des De Champs, has just won the Irish gold cup 3 years on the bounce and is trying to win the Cheltenham gold cup 3 on the bounce as well and don’t know a jumps jockey who wouldn’t want to sit on an animal like that.

Favourite jumping course and course you'd love to win at?

Ellerslie… I never rode under rules back in the uk so never rode at too many tracks… so to come out here and have the unique spectacle like the famous “hill” was cool, also the fences rode beautifully (banged out the last two feature winners there as well😮‍💨🤌🏼🤫) so yeah, give me a Time Machine and give me another spin over the hill.

John Wheeler

Name: John Wheeler
Training Centre: New Plymouth
How long have you been training for? 55 Years
Best accomplishment so far? Nakayama Grand Jump, 9 South Eastern Steeples
& 4 Grand Annuals
Best horse trained? Poetic Prince on the Flat and St Steven Jumping
Horse you’d like to train (past or present): Crisp
Favourite jumping racecourse? Was Ellerslie
How did you get into jumping? As a child through Hunting and Showjumping
which then led into racing
What do you do in the off season? Keep working horses. Train Flat ones
Racecourse you would like to attend: Aintree
Aims for the future: To train Zeefazed to become a top jumper.

Name: Peter Brosnan

Training Centre: Matamata

How long have you been training for? 20ish Years, 8 ish with Jess

Best accomplishment so far? Winning a Great Northern Hurdles in 2010 with Southern Countess & Pakuranga Hunt Cup in 2024 with Ima Wonder

Best horse trained? Southern Countess

Horse you’d like to train (past or present): Crown Dancer

Favourite jumping racecourse? Was Ellerslie

How did you get into jumping? My parents bred and owned/trained racehorses. Including Melbourne Cup horses, hurdlers and chasers

What do you do in the off season? Hay & silage contractor