The Sydney apprentices ranks are strong. Andrew Adkins, Blaike McDougall, Lee Magorrian and James Innes jnr all have their admirers, but it is the imports who could fight out the Sydney junior riding title this season.
Rachel King, who rode in English amateur ranks before coming to Australia, has shot away with a big lead on 22 wins, but has only four wins left before she loses her claim. The support of Gai Waterhouse will be crucial to her title run.
"Gai came back from holidays and said, 'This apprentice title, we are going to win it'," King said. "It is great to have her support."
However, her main challenger is emerging in another mature-age former UK apprentice, Jean Van Overmeire, who has 11 wins at nearly 13 per cent strike rate and still has a three-kilo claim.
He has ambition and is looking to continue a rise.
"I would like to try to run down Rachel. She has a big lead but I think I can get close if I get the right opportunities," Van Overmeire said.
It has been 18 months since he took out his Australian papers, indentured to Bjorn Baker, and after impressing at country and provincial level, the 23-year-old's strong riding style has impressed good judges.
"He is strong and really sits down and rides them out. Being that bit older helps, " said trainer Kris Lees, who has booked Van Overmeire for Olympic Academy and Guard Of Honour at Randwick on Saturday.
"He is going to be popular with that three-kilo claim."
From limited chances in town, Van Overmeire has made a mark and his second city double on New Year's Day was another showcase of his talent.
However, he is also level headed. "It was a great confidence boost. I know this is where I want to end up, but it is just waiting and seeing how it goes in the next couple of months when the carnival is on," Van Overmeire said.
"I might have to go back to provincials and ride there during the carnival because there are no claiming races. I can still ride midweek.
"It will be about taking the chances that come my way."
He is a long way from his only winner at home at Wolverhampton in a brief 17-ride stint in England. Van Overmeire went travelling with stops in Dubai and Hong Kong before he returned home and then came to Australia.
For the two years in Dubai he worked for Mike De Kock and was part of the team that took Variety Club to Hong Kong, where he smashed local champion Able Friend in the Classic Mile.
"I started in England but decided to go travelling and got some good experience, but this is what I wanted to do," Van Overmeire said. "I knew Bjorn's racing manager Jack [Bruce] and came out here.
"It took a while to sort everything out, about a year, but I am really happy to be riding out here.
"I didn't want to just ride trackwork, but you have to earn your [race] rides."
Van Overmeire went to the country to hone his skills and with more than 80 winners has outridden his country claim. He will be down to 1.5 kilograms in the provincial area soon, so he comes to the city with all the tools to be competitive. He also has the backing of the Baker team, with Kim Waugh another big supporter.
Baker will use him on Geneteau at Canterbury on Friday night, where he also has rides for Garry Neale, Gary Portelli and Jean Dubois.
"She is a very quick filly, [in what] looks to be a winnable race," Van Overmeire said. "There are some good rides there on Friday."
He hopes Baker's Live To Dream, an in and out mare, which has four wins all with Van Overmeire on board, can give him another city success at Randwick on Saturday.
"I think she was my first ride in town," Van Overmeire said. "There is ability there. When she turns up to the races you don't know which you are going to get.
"Fortunately every time I have ridden her she has been very good. I have four wins out of five rides on her and it should be five from five.
"I got it wrong on her at Canterbury that first day in town and ran second. It was good to win on her on Boxing Day and if she turns up it is a race she is right in.
"She is probably a better horse on softer tracks but I think she will run a good race."
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