3 minute read

Hawkesbury apprentices Chelsea Ings and Simone Vella are sure to remember their first rides at Carinda, the tiny township 70km south-west of Walgett in the far northwest of NSW where they race once year on a dirt track.

The pair rode there for the first time on Saturday and each landed a winner at a meeting they will never forget for different reasons.

Ings, 22, was competing for the final time this season and scored on More Than Art for Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson to cap easily her most successful year.

Vella, a 25-year-old mother of two and a recent graduate from the picnic circuit after riding seven winners, won her first professional race when she landed the Carinda Cup on Naoko for former Hawkesbury trainer Connie Greig.

Greig is now based at Dubbo.

Ings is apprenticed to her mother Wanda Ings and Vella is indentured to her husband Matt.

It has been a watershed year for Chelsea Ings, whose victory on More Than Art was her 23rd overall and her 15th for the season.

A suspension incurred at Cowra on July 15 now takes effect and ends on Wednesday week, meaning her best ever season is over.

Vella was riding for only the third time at a professional meeting. He first was at Mudgee on July 2.

She took great delight in winning her second race on Naoko as she also rode the mare to a victory at the Mudgee picnics in May.

Vella rides work for trainer Brad Widdup, who recently set up his stable at Hawkesbury.

She has just given up her own cake making business to focus on her riding.

The effort Inga and Vella put in to ride at Carinda was outstanding as each covered well over 1000km to compete.

Carinda is 650km from Hawkesbury. Both jockeys rode at Dubbo on Friday before travelling on to Carinda early on Saturday morning.

Ings stayed in Dubbo on Friday night but Vella went back to Bathurst and stayed with a friend that night before setting out for Carinda.