11 hours ago
4
Craig Kerry
July 9, 2026 — 5:00pm
A more relaxed Siena Grima aims to make the most of Braith Nock’s absence on Saturday at Randwick to steal a lead in the Sydney apprentices’ premiership race.
And she was eyeing breakthrough winners for her boss’ biggest rival to help the cause.
Grima drew level with defending champion Braith Nock on 30 NSW city winners for the campaign last Saturday at Rosehill with a double for master trainer Chris Waller.
The 23-year-old has another strong book of rides at Randwick on Saturday, including three chances for Ciaron Maher, while Nock is sidelined because of a careless riding suspension. Nock returns at Warwick Farm next Wednesday, when there will be five Sydney meetings remaining.
Grima, who has had a suspension-free run since joining Waller’s powerhouse Rosehill stable from Tamworth in early December, hoped to capitalise on Nock’s setback.
“To ride competitively, you do have to take risks, but whether those risks get you suspended or not is the question,” Grima said.
“But if you don’t take the runs, it could cost you winning, so you do have to ride the fine line of being competitive or what they deem careless.
“But with Braith being suspended, obviously he’s had a little bit more time in the metro than I have, so I think it’s a nice little bit of a catch-up this weekend to try and get another few winners.”
Grima has surged into premiership prominence in recent weeks for Waller while many of Sydney’s top jockeys are away. Waller has praised Grima’s ability to handle pressure and her resilience through her early days with the stable.
“If I just keep it in the back of my mind and just try and ride each race as it comes and not worry too much about winning it, I find I’m in a lot better headspace,” Grima said of the premiership race.
“I’m a lot calmer, especially now that we’re even. I’m a lot more relaxed and I can focus on doing everything right in races.
“I just took that time while J-Mac [James McDonald] and all the jockeys were around to just learn a bit more about how they ride races down here, learn the patterns of the jockeys and learn how to ride the tracks so that when my time did come, I was around it all and I had a bit better of an understanding. And it’s clearly been working.”
She has three rides for Waller on Saturday, but also has three for Maher, who has won the past three Australian trainers’ premierships. Waller is set to reclaim that title with 358 winners to Maher’s 313, before Thursday, with three weeks remaining.
Grima gets a first ride on Maher-trained Benevac, a $3.20 favourite in the fourth race after close seconds at his past two starts at Rosehill.
“It’s been racing well and obviously the two-kilogram claim does help, so it should be a pretty good chance,” she said.
“It would be especially good to get a winner for Ciaron Maher. He’s given me a few rides and I haven’t been able to salute on one yet, so hopefully this is the one.”
She also expected Maher-trained Lugh ($4.80) to improve in the ninth when second-up off a fifth in a higher grade, while stablemate Sociable ($8.50) in the sixth has been close at his past two starts at Warwick Farm.
Waller-trained Tazima looms as one of her better chances. The five-year-old gave Grima her first city winner in August, and they have prevailed again at his past two starts. Tazima, $4.20 in the seventh, has two wins and a second from three heavy track starts and likely faces those conditions again.
“He gives you 110 per cent every time, so if you can give him the right runs, you know he’s going to be there for you at the finishing line,” Grima said.
“But I’m glad he’s had a nice break of three weeks between runs, so I think he’ll be strong again.”
Grima won on stablemate Concordia Wind, $7.50 in the eighth on Saturday, at Warwick Farm last start when the mare broke an almost 18-month drought.
“She gets in nicely with the weights, she’s at a trip she’s enjoying, and I think last start would have given her a lot more confidence,” she said.
She was eyeing another drought-breaker with John Sargent’s Perfect Justice ($4.60) in the Midway handicap after seconds at his past two starts in the grade.
“When I rode him first up this prep he was back and he’s run on really well,” she said.
“I tried to ride him a little handy last start, and he just plugged away. Hopefully I can just take a backward sit again, cut the corner, and get a run.”
