Episode 390: Nick Souquet

Punters and racing fans who follow southern districts racing are familiar with the name of Nick Souquet. The veteran jockey has been a fixture down south for all of his thirty years in the saddle.  I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Nick Souquet  which was all the more reason to get him on the podcast for a chat about his successful career. Nick says he’s never met another person in Australia who goes by his surname. He talks of his home base at Wodonga which enables him to ride in two states. Nick says he’s able to control his weight when riding regular trackwork. The veteran jockey speaks glowingly of the talents of Al bury trainer Mitchell Beer. He talks of recent winning rides at prominent Victorian tracks. Nick pays tribute to his wife Laura and three children whose ages range from 5 to 15. He acknowledges his wife’s riding career which finished after a nasty race fall. The jockey looks back on childhood days growing up on the well known Coppabella Pastoral property near Tumbarumba. He reflects on a chance meeting with legendary trainer Richard Freyer. Work experience led him to an apprenticeship with Freyer whose wise counsel proved invaluable. Nick talks of the drastic measures he had to take during the pandemic. Border closures made his life a misery. The jockey looks back on his very first win at Griffith in 1989 and a subsequent stable transfer to Adelaide where he worked for respected trainer Russell Cameron. He pays tribute to Cameron who died in 2019. Nick had a great trot in SA riding 55 winners including several in the city. He acknowledges a couple of talented horses he got to ride. He talks of an offer he had to join a top Sydney stable. Nick talks of the good advice he received from Richard Freyer when he concluded his apprenticeship with plenty of money in the bank. On coming out of his time Nick made the decision to stay in the bush. He says he’s never ridden a winner in Sydney. Nick pays tribute to a handful of jockeys who were his inspirations in the impressionable years. He looks back on the special horses who helped shape his career. The jockey speaks of his close association with Queanbeyan’s Cleary family. He talks of the job he took when his weight got out of hand last year. Nick concludes by talking about his future plans.