Mathew Gillies brought up a memorable milestone at Te Aroha on Sunday when recording his 100th win in the saddle in New Zealand.
The 39-year-old went into the meeting with several promising rides, but it was upon the Dean Wiles-trained Justice that he brought up his riding century in the Dean Wiles Racing Maiden Steeplechase (3600m).
Gillies had schooled the Belardo six-year-old and took plenty of confidence from his debut steeplechase in July.
“I went and schooled him during the week and he jumped really well,” Gillies said. “On his previous run, in his first steeplechase at Te Aroha with Kylan Wiles on him, he went really well for his first time and I thought there would be some improvement off that, and that’s exactly what happened, he went really well.”
Gillies was rapt to bring up his 100th winner, but said he wasn’t aware he had reached the milestone until he was told after the race.
“I didn’t think about it yesterday until someone told me,” he said. “It wasn’t really on the top of my mind, but it was good to get it.”
Among Gillies’ 100 wins, there are a few horses that stand out.
“Southern Countess was a nice horse,” he said. “She won and was second in the Northern and she won three Pakuranga Hurdles.
“Ima Heroine won a Northern Steeple and Pakuranga Hunt Cup.
“Tallyho Twinkletoe was a good horse for me and we won a National.
“I won five races on Gagarin and he won a Wellington Steeplechase, a Northern Hurdle, a Hawke’s Bay Hurdle and a Manawatu Steeplechase, he was a nice horse to me.
“And Finito, one of my father’s horses, was a good horse that got my name out there.”
Raceday riding is a part-time pursuit for Gillies, who was back at his regular jobs the next day, riding work for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike before heading to Auckland Airport to work for equine airfreight services company Airport Livestock Services Limited.
“We help get the stalls ready for IRT and NZB,” Gillies said. “We are loading and unloading horses, getting the stalls ready, driving on the airside of the airport and taking the stalls down and back.
“It is something that I have been doing for the last three years and now I do it a couple of times a week.
“I ride work for Tony Pike as well. I was able to ride seven horses this morning, come up here and we have got a load going out to Sydney at 6pm tonight.”
With 100 New Zealand riding wins to his credit, Gillies is now eyeing that number in a jumps racing capacity.
“I would rather get 100 jumping wins and I am at about 85 at the moment,” he said.
“If everything is going right, and barring falls or injuries, hopefully jumps racing keeps going and I can get to that 100 wins. It is in the distance at the moment.”
While the jumping season is nearing a close, Gillies is hoping he can inch closer to that goal in the next few weeks.
“Justice is going into a 0-1 win steeplechase at Te Aroha. He seems like he will be a good chance in that,” Gillies said. “If the ground dries up a bit, I think Taika will be a good ride in the Northern Hurdles.”