Steve Pateman will be sporting two hats on the opening day of the Warrnambool carnival
Champion jumps jockey Steve Pateman will be sporting two hats on the opening day of the three-day Warrnambool carnival.
He will try to add to his tally of winners at the famous meeting and will also have runners as a trainer.
Earlier this year Pateman was granted a dual trainer/jockey licence and on Tuesday rides one of his own horses in a jumps race for the first time.
“I’m really enjoying the training and training has saved my riding career,” Pateman said
“I’m a lot busier now, going all day rather than just riding for a few hours every morning and I’m really looking forward to riding our first jumper in a race.”
Unabashed makes his jumps debut for Pateman in the second division of Tuesday’s maiden hurdle.
Pateman was aboard Unabashed in his first school before Richard Cully took over for his second test at Cranbourne.
“I put Ricky on that day because he’s had a bit to do with him and it was good to get his opinion,” Pateman said.
“Under the rules I’ve got to ride him and we’ve set him for this race.”
Luckily for Pateman the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Bonfire is down for the first division of the maiden hurdle.
Bonfire is having his first jumps start on Tuesday and Pateman was aboard when he won a school at Cranbourne on April 19.
“I was really impressed with the way he went,” Pateman said.
“I’m definitely happy to see them in different divisions.”
His final ride on Tuesday is Zed Em in the day’s feature, the Brierly Steeplechase over 3450m.
Pateman rode Zed Em to a 15-length win last month over Tuesday’s course and distance before Cully took over when the horse was successful in the Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank on April 15.
In between his first two rides and his final mount, Pateman will switch to trainer mode and saddle Aldous in the Cally Hotel Handicap (2350m).
Formerly trained in Sydney by John Thompson and then Neil Godbolt at Port Macquarie, Aldous is having his first start for Pateman.
“He’s been sent down to me to become a jumper,” Pateman said.
“I’d like to see him running on as he gets ready for the hurdles.”
