Third straight Great Southern Leading Senior Rider award for Natasha Faithfull in record-breaking season

Star Albany jockey Natasha Faithfull will finish with a career-best season in the saddle, having already bettered her previous best winning tally. Faithfull, who recently overcame a horror race fall in Port Hedland, has passed 100 winners for the 2023-24 season and in doing so won a third consecutive Great Southern Leading Senior Rider of the Year title. The 30-year-old stitched up a third straight title as the Great Southern’s best jockey in May and that success has helped power her past triple figures. Entering the last few weeks of the 2023-24 season, Faithfull has 104 winners to her name which will go down in the record books as the best of her career. Her previous best mark was 103 winners in 2021-22 and she fell just shy of 100 last season, chalking up 98 victories. Faithfull sits fourth in the WA jockeys’ premiership behind William Pike (161.5 wins), Chris Parnham (148) and Clint Johnston-Porter (134). She is the leading provincial and country rider with 73 and 25 victories respectively on those circuits. Faithfull said getting physically stronger had been a key reason behind her outstanding season. “It feels like I’ve had more success in the Great Southern this season,” she said. “I’ve ridden more winners for mum (Samantha) and I feel I’ve really come into myself. “Using my whip in my left hand and getting stronger are certain things I’ve focused on. “I’ve had a person trainer which has made me a lot stronger and able to win me a few more races, so that hard work behind the scenes is starting to show in the last 12 months. “It just hasn’t happened by accident … I’m always trying to improve myself and I’m in a really happy space at the moment.” Faithfull had set out to break her previous season win tally of 103 and also has her sights on leading rider in the Goldfields. “I wanted to beat my record of 103 for the season, that goal has been on my fridge,” Faithfull said. “I’ve never done it, but I’d love to go leading rider in Kalgoorlie as well.” Faithfull leads the Jockey of the Year award at the Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club with 15 points, four clear of Lucy Fiore at this stage of their season. On Sunday, Faithfull has a strong book of six rides in Carnarvon and will partner Wuhan Warrior in the $20,000 Minilya Sprint.