Testimonials

Gympie apprentice, Kazuki Mizobe

Treble at Caloundra

Apprentice Kazuki Mizobe is building a winning reputation a long way from his homeland

A winning treble at the Sunshine Coast on Friday, December 11 provided apprentice Kazuki Mizobe with the high point of his adventure in racing since leaving his homeland of Japan in 2006. Mizobe at 19-years-old is now apprenticed to Gympie trainer, Barry Gill, and won the first three races on Gympie trained horses at Caloundra.

He began the treble with a win for his master on Brennan at long odds who bolted in by six lengths with the Bundilla Dry Cleaners Maiden Handicap 1400m. Mizobe then landed the second race, the Sunshine Coast Daily QTIS 3Y0 Class 1 Handicap 1400m, on the Peter Fleming-prepared Agent Blue, also at double figure odds. Again the bookies cheered as Mizobe sealed the three-peat with victory on the Steven Thomas-trained Rajeena in the third race, the Hot 91 Maiden Handicap 1100m.

All three horses are stabled and trained on the Gympie racecourse where over 100 horses are in work. An interest in playing computer games was the spark which eventually led to Mizobe coming to Australia in 2006. As a youngster he played a horseracing game on his computer which led him to find out more about racing. After watching horseracing on the television, he investigated jockey training on the internet, and eventually found the details of Traintec on the Gold Coast.

Leaving his parents, his father an engineer and mother a nurse, in Toyota City, he came to the Gold Coast. After 18 months there he was apprenticed to Gladstone trainer Phillip Pengelly and later Mark Lehmann. He also spent time in Brisbane with Kelly Schweida before gaining his licence and having his first race ride in June last year.

He transferred from Gladstone to the Gympie stable of Barry Gill earlier this year but a broken arm delayed his riding debut in the area. He has now ridden 25 winners.

Story and photo by Barry Fitzhenry

Tats Fujinuma

Traintech 2000 Apprentice Jockey Tat’s Fujinuma is tranfering back to Southern Queensland after a successful two years with the Ralph Baker stable in Cairns. Fujinuma rode  15  winners while based in Far North Queensland.

He will now be attached to the Tony Sears Stable in Toowoomba, the establishment that has mentored several successful Australian Jockeys such as Nozi Tomizawa, Yoshi Yamazaki and Kenji Yoshida.

Mikiko Nakao

Advanced Stablehand/Trackrider Mikiko has joined “Team Willick” Stable at the Gold Coast. The ‘all female stable has an impressive strike rate which is due to the ‘excellent horse care and stable management’ of the stable staff” -Alicia Willick Trainer.