Kiwi homecoming for Sam Collett
Jess de Lautour • May 29th, 2025 2:26 PM • 3 min read
New Zealand will welcome a familiar face back to the riding ranks in the new season, with three-time Group One-winning hoop Samantha Collett returning from Queensland.
Prior to her move across the Tasman, Collett was among the top echelon of Kiwi jockeys, winning two editions of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) and a Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), as well as a domestic jockeys’ premiership crown in the 2017-18 season.
In search of a new challenge in her career, Collett relocated to Brisbane in 2021 and has enjoyed plenty of success, riding more than 150 winners and six at stakes level. A highlight during her stint came at Rockhampton in early 2023 when she followed in the footsteps of her parents, Trudy Thornton and Jim Collett, when riding her 1,000th winner.
While Collett enjoyed her time in the sunshine state, an increasingly competitive group of jockeys and the pull toward life back home sealed her decision.
“It had been on my mind for a little while, it was an accumulation of factors for me, both professionally and personally,” she said.
“I’ve had a fantastic time since I’ve been here in Brisbane. I’ve had a great amount of support and ticked a lot of boxes career-wise - getting my 1,000th winner and riding stakes winners over here.
“It’s been good, but I’m missing the lifestyle that I had at home. Living in the city is not something that I particularly enjoy. For me, I need to find that balance to keep my mind fresh, so I can be at my best when I’m riding. It can be a bit tough to do so living in the city and I’ve struggled with that for a while.
“Apart from Mum being here, a lot of my lifelong friends and family are in New Zealand. Having that support system outside of racing is something I’ve missed as well.
“There are also a lot of riders here in Queensland now, so it’s pretty tough. I’m getting enough rides, but I want to be making the most of riding while I can.
“When I was away, I had the farm at home, so it was tough paying the mortgage and paying rent here as well. I love my riding so much, but I was getting to a point where I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I would’ve liked, and financially, the stake money has improved a lot at home and there is probably a shortage of good senior riders there as well.
“It seems like the right time for me to come back.”
The 35-year-old will ride on Queensland Oaks Day at Eagle Farm on the 7th of June before returning to Matamata, but she is in no immediate rush to ride on raceday here through the colder months.
“I’ve just not long come back from a holiday with my sister around Europe, but I don’t want to rush into doing a lot of riding in the winter and be fresh coming into the new season at home,” she said.
“My plan is to do a little bit of work at my sister’s law firm, I’m not educated in any way, shape or form in that line of work but it’s something I would like to have a feel for to see what life would be like outside of racing.
“In saying that, I’d like to be riding a couple of days a week to ease myself into it. The weather is going to be a shock for me, we think 16 degrees is cold for a morning in Queensland.”
Having ridden in New Zealand for a decade and a half, Collett has built strong connections with trainers across the country and said she will be a free agent upon her return.
“I spent 15 years riding at home before I moved here, so I’ve built up a very solid base,” she said.
“I did my apprenticeship with Te Akau, obviously Mark Walker is now based in Melbourne, but I have no intentions of tying myself down to any particular stable. I will be loyal to those who supported me before I left, like Cody (Cole) and Robbie (Patterson), and Dad has a couple of horses in work.
“I’ll be based in Matamata, so my plan is to freelance at this stage.”
While her immediate future lies in her homeland, Collett is not ruling out another stint in Queensland in the near future, while having other aspirations for her career before she hangs up the saddle.
“I’m coming home for the new season, but I’ve built a solid foundation for myself in Queensland that if I was to ever come back, it would be 10 times easier than when I moved over for the first time,” she said.
“I have people that will miss me here, so I may come back next winter when the racing quietens down in New Zealand and do a couple of months. Part of me would like to have a go in Sydney, riding out at some of the more provincial meetings where the money is still pretty good.
“But, for the immediate future, I’ll keep my sights set on making as much money and having as much success as I can.”
