{"id":66659,"date":"2014-05-08T18:43:34","date_gmt":"2014-05-08T08:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=66659"},"modified":"2020-12-04T10:11:46","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T00:11:46","slug":"billies-next-stop-is-burrandowan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/05\/08\/billies-next-stop-is-burrandowan\/","title":{"rendered":"Billie’s Next Stop Is Burrandowan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Billie-Rose<\/a>
Leading South-East Queensland country apprentice Billie-Rose Derbyshire in full flight … she’ll be riding four horses at Burrandowan this Saturday (Photo: Ross Stanley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Gunsynd's<\/a>May 8, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Ross Stanley<\/strong><\/p>\n

While aspiring jockeys may dream of winning at their first attempt, few would contemplate finishing their first day at the office with a two-from-two result.<\/p>\n

Even more improbable would be landing two quadrellas part-way through their apprenticeship.<\/p>\n

Well, Billie-Rose Derbyshire has done all that.<\/p>\n

The teenager started off at Barry and Desiree Gill’s stables in Gympie weighing a mere 38 kilograms.<\/p>\n

But stable chores, trackwork and some dietary changes built up her strength and on July 30, 2011 the debutante rider landed a double with Noname (narrowly beating Frenardi) and Leica Fuse on home soil for Gill.<\/p>\n

Billie-Rose’s next 19 engagements yielded six more victories (consisting of three doubles) including Gympie’s Nolan’s Meats Muster Cup feature race and a Gladstone Newmarket.<\/p>\n

There were two visits to the runner-up slot as well.<\/p>\n

“Desiree taught me to ride and was a great beginning influence,” Billie-Rose said.<\/p>\n

“She got off good horses and she and Barry gave me strong chances.<\/p>\n

“But some self-imposed pressures developed and I decided to quit in December 2011 and study at uni to be a primary teacher.”<\/p>\n

However – after discussions with Racing Queensland – Billie-Rose returned to trackwork at Gympie in January 2012. And after a period with Robert Wilson at Caloundra, she linked up with Kerry Munce in September 2102.<\/p>\n

Derbyshire has certainly bounced back since then. <\/strong><\/p>\n

She was the leading South-East Queensland country apprentice in 2011-12 and 2012-13. And for the present season to early May, she has a form line of 149 for 25:15:18, a winning strike rate of 17.9 per cent and a 39 per cent place record.<\/p>\n

Her overall tally is now around the 60 winners mark.<\/p>\n

This year Billie-Rose has also twice gone close to riding the card.<\/p>\n

On March 1, she combined with Munce at their local Gympie South Side course to salute on Tallahatchie, River of Glory and Frisco Rain before the last-gasp nose victory by the wonderful warhorse Frenardi made it four for the team.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old just missed a place on her other mount Brown Eyed Miss.<\/p>\n

But she went even better at Bundaberg last Saturday, scoring on Munce’s entrants Remy Martini and Frisco Rain, the Mark Lewis trained Red Mint and William Melvin’s charge Decadent. <\/strong><\/p>\n

It was up to old favourite Frenardi to register his 20th career success and make it five from five for his junior partner.<\/p>\n

Alas, the gallant nine-year-old, with a 6.5kg disadvantage, went down by two lengths to Golden Cash, the hot pot saddled up by Nanango’s Glenn Richardson.<\/p>\n

At Burrandowan this Saturday, Billie-Rose has engagements for the Barry Gill trio Balinese Boy, Astralin and Lady’s Command, along with Desert Lair, and will get the opportunity to bag another quartet.<\/p>\n

But she’ll have to wait to fight another day for a full hand of winners because she doesn’t have a mount in the penultimate contest.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n