Whiteley Brings Down Curtain on Classy Career with Cluden Win

Ace jockey Chris Whiteley saved a little flash of brilliance for the very last day of his riding career in Townsville on Friday.

The 50-year-old, a winner of four Townsville Cups and two Cleveland Bays, signed off on a remarkable career with a superb ride to win on filly Kobayashi for trainer Matt McGuire and his family.

It was his last day riding at Cluden, win, lose or draw.

But the win was a sweet success for Whiteley, whose dominance at Cluden in the late 1990s propelled him to greater success in the south-east of the State.

That success included Gold Coast premierships, a Magic Millions Cup, a win in the G3 BJ McLachlan and a Ramornie Hcp on the way to 1,928 winners.

He will fulfill a few final riding engagements in the south-east over the next week before focusing on his new role as a trainer and educator of apprentices with Racing Queensland.

On Friday there was no fanfare. Few knew that it was his last time rolling around the Cluden track.

“This is my last venture to Townsville, last time riding up here. I thought I’d come up for just one more lap around Cluden,” Whiteley said.

“I’ve got a lot of great memories here, the Cups, the Cleveland Bay Hcps, and it’s been good to me and where everything got me going.

“I was keen to get on Kobayashi for the McGuires. I saw her last run, which was very good, and I’ve won on the horse and I just said to Patty (McGuire) if the ride became available I’d like to ride her. It became available so I put my hand up.

“She’s always shown ability right from day one and Matty’s (McGuire) done a great job with her.

“They’re a really nice family and it was great to get a win on my last day here. Townsville is a special place for me.”

Townsville was the turning point in the career of NSW born Whiteley who spent time riding in Sydney, Dubbo, Gilgandra, Tasmania and in Sydney again before he came to Townsville in 1990 in answer to an advertisement seeking an apprentice.

He was a late bloomer.

It wasn’t until he completed his time in the city that his star began to rise.

His first big break came when he linked with Ingham trainer Errol Covell who became a Townsville premiership winning trainer.

“I only rode 78 winners in my apprenticeship - I was getting a bit frustrated but I was still willing to have a go,” he said.

“Then Errol Covell asked me to go to Ingham and I just started getting good rides, obviously, because he had a nice crop of horses from NSW and Victoria.

“Everything just seemed to break right and my confidence grew, I started taking risks, and showing more initiative, and the winners were rolling.

“I used to put a five hour video tape in the recorder at the Oonoonba Hotel. I’d pick it up after the races and go and watch it at night to look at how I could improve, and spotting horses I could get on next start.

“I won two premierships in Townsville and I think it was in 1999 that I rode 64.5 winners which was a record.

“That was when Bruce McLachlan asked me to go south but I said ‘no I’m just not ready’.

“The following year after I won (Townsville Cup) on Party King, I rode five winners over the two days of the Cairns Amateurs.

“On the Monday Alan Bailey (Queensland leading trainer at the time) rang me with an offer and I decided the time was right.

“Glen Colless was Alan’s number one in Brisbane, and I was the two at the Gold Coast.

“I rode for him for about nine years. So many good horses there that gave me a great run. Amex he was probably the best horse I rode. He gave me a Magic Millions Cup.”

Whiteley is proud of his career achievements and thankful for his longevity in the industry.

He initially wanted to retire after his 2000th winner, but says the new role with Racing Queensland came along at the right time.

“It’s been good to get to 1900 plus winners, and I look back on how fortunate I was to ride for 35 years as well,” he said. 

“In my original group from apprentice school in Sydney in 1990 I think I’m the only one still riding.

“For probably the last 10 years I’ve been asked what I’m going to do when I retire and I had no definitive answer.

“When this job came up I thought I actually suit the role and applied and was lucky enough to get it.

“I’ve got a great family and decided that’s the way to go.

“Apprentices really are a step ahead of where we were when we first started. They’re probably a year ahead getting all of those fundamentals going early.

“There’s 67 apprentices in the State. I’ll be working with a lot who are in their early stages, with the fundamentals.

“Just teaching them to get their confidence up, relaxing in the barriers, having the right hold on them and making sure they’re ready when the last one’s going in, giving good feedback.

“They might seem like small things but they all add up.

“The good thing about this job is that I’ll still be coming up to Townsville and other regional areas to support the apprentices and that means I can stay in touch with everyone.”