Politics
Stunning trainer Gemma Rielly is the former make-up artist taking on billionaires with her 100-1 outsider in £500K race
GEMMA RIELLY is the former make-up artist turned horse trainer whose 100-1 outsider is one race away from £500,000.
The 33-year-old Australian is dreaming of the Blue Diamond jackpot with a horse she leased via social media.
Rielly is dreaming of a £500,000 pay day in the Group 1 Blue Diamond race in Australia[/caption]
The stunning trainer quit her career in the saddle after a string of injuries[/caption]
Rielly broke her neck and her pelvis in two separate horror falls[/caption]
Now the jockey-turned-trainer is carving out a successful career getting horses ready for raceday[/caption]
It would be quite some story, with Rielly going up against the billionaire Godolphin stable and the vast riches of other top owners Down Under.
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Rielly’s little-known runner Ginibi was purchased for just over £1,000 – 250 times cheaper than some of her rivals in the big race.
But just having a place in the field marks another step on an incredible journey for Rielly, who at 19 quit her job as a property manager to go into racing full-time.
She looked set to take the sport by storm after a promising start to her career in the saddle.
But back luck with injuries – including a broken neck and pelvis in two separate incidents – meant she was forced to hang up her whip before reaching the 100-race mark.
Stuck on the sidelines, Rielly delved deeper into training and bought her first horse for £14,500 after getting her training licence.
It was an immediate hit.
La Belle Jude has gone on to win seven races and bag nearly £120,000 in prize money.
But far bigger riches await Rielly in Saturday’s Group 1 showpiece at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.
The first horse Rielly trained has gone on to win more than £100,000[/caption]
She still likes to keep fit away from the track and is a keen hiker[/caption]
The 33-year-old is aiming for her 100-1 outsider to shock[/caption]
Rielly will be taking on Dubai billionaires with the horse she leased off social media[/caption]
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Not that Rielly is daunted by it all.
She told racing.com: “I am a dreamer.
“I came down travelling with a horse for Simon Miller from western Australia when Miracles of Life won the race [in 2013] and the atmosphere was just unbelievable.
“From that time, I thought I want to win the Blue Diamond.
Rielly with La Belle Jude, the horse that started it all[/caption]
The trainer is feeling no pressure at all ahead of the biggest race of her life[/caption]
“I don’t feel any pressure, she is 100-1, so the nerves are pretty good. I am chilled about it all.
“If she finished top five I would be ecstatic, but there is prize money to eighth and certainly wouldn’t be disheartened.
“We’ve got nothing to lose.”
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