Collett all class in Kiwi return
Jess de Lautour • June 15th, 2025 3:44 PM
Matamata was the setting for Samantha Collett’s first victory in the saddle, and on Sunday, she was back on the board at the course after a three-year stint riding in Australia.
After winning three Group Ones in her homeland, Collett relocated to Queensland in October 2021 to ply her trade in Brisbane, where she rode over 150 winners and half a dozen of those at stakes level.
She announced in May that she would be returning to New Zealand, and while not in any rush to return to riding, she was a welcome addition to the jockey’s room on Saturday at Te Rapa, where she had four rides across the card.
She was similarly sought-after at Matamata on Sunday, where the first of her six rides came aboard an outsider and debutant in Empressive. A filly by Eminent, Empressive had trialled once heading into the Craigs IP 1400, where she started at a quote of $29, with Born This Swey on top of the market at $3.20.
It was evident early in the race that runners were contending with a true Heavy10, but Empressive was handling conditions better than most, travelling well midfield on the rail. She was giving the leaders a decent headstart on the home corner and Horrie dashed clear, but Collett got Empressive out to the centre of the track alongside Show Merican, and the pair began hunting him down.
Going right down to the wire, Show Merican was narrowly ahead of Empressive as they passed Horrie, but the filly stuck her head down in the final stride to score by a nose.
The victory was Collett’s first for trainer Benjamin King, in her first ride for the local horseman.
“I rode my very first winner here, so it seems appropriate to ride by first winner back here, not that I’ve been away for a long time, but it’s good,” Collett said.
“Track conditions are testing to say the least, but Benji’s done a great job with this little horse. Obviously having her first start, it’s a little bit unknown as to how these track conditions were going to play out for her, but she travelled really well on the circle for me.
“I was mindful of keeping a bit of momentum up without having to stop and start, but once I was able to extricate a position off the fence, she balanced up down the straight and really gave me everything.
“She’s still doing things a touch wrong, but she had the audacity to stick her nose out where it mattered.”
Due to track conditions, the Matamata meeting had only been confirmed to go ahead on Sunday morning, just as King had hoped.
“She’s in the going that she needs, that heavy ground, so I was praying they would run them today,” he said.
“Sammy is obviously great, we’re stoked to have her back here, and she did a great job of just keeping her balanced. In the heavy conditions out there, you’ve just got to help them out a little bit, and when you balance them up, let them go. I’m glad she responded.
“It’s winter racing, the club does a great job it’s nice and safe, but it is heavy. Everyone knows that, everyone’s in the same boat.”
Bred and raced by Alex Leander, Empressive is out of an unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Baheeya. Her other progeny include seven-race winner Savvy Lad, and O’Really Beheeya, who produced Australian Group Two performer Can’t Go Wong. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
