Staying Faithful

by Jessica Owers

Western Australian jockey Natasha Faithfull was a finalist in the 2025 Magic Millions Racing Women supported by TAB Achievement Awards. She tells Jessica Owers about the honour of being nominated, the thrill of being a finalist, and the greatest job on earth.

Since 2012, Magic Millions has pioneered the women’s space in racing, and last year that space got a little more glamourous with the addition of the Magic Millions Racing Women supported by TAB Achievement Awards The idea was to recognise the outstanding success of women in the thoroughbred industry, and inaugural winners Gai Waterhouse, Denise Martin and Lindy Maurice were worthy.

This year, however, the awards adopted a national approach The $50,000 total prize pool was shared between the winners of five state- and territory-based categories, with the winner of each receiving a $10,000 scholarship from TAB Nominees had to demonstrate how the scholarship would benefit their industry pursuits, whatever they may be, and competition was fierce.

Western Australia and the Northern Territory were grouped together In December, celebrated local rider Natasha Faithfull and rising-star Territory trainer Ella Clarke were announced as category finalists Both women flew to the Gold Coast for the Awards ceremony on January 3, where Clarke was revealed the winner.

For Faithfull, it was an experience like few others, albeit a short one She flew the nearsix hours from Perth to the Gold Coast, dolled up and departed the ceremony early to rush back to Perth for Saturday rides.

“But it was a beautiful night, they did such a gorgeous job with the ceremony,” she says “I felt very bad having to leave I congratulated Ella and told everyone around the table that I had to go straight to the races tomorrow, and I had a full book on Sunday too.”

Have saddle, will travel… it’s the way of country jockeys, in particular those from the vast Western Australia.

“It was a huge achievement to even just be thought of for these awards,” Faithfull says “There are thousands of people who do such a great job in this industry, and not just jockeys, not just the people who get the limelight It’s people behind the scenes too in the studs and stables, the riders and strappers and everyone like them.”

Faithfull, 31, is no stranger to awards She has been leading rider in the Albany region for the last three seasons, and was leading provincial rider in Western Australia last year She is currently leading the title race once again.

You don’t even know what you need, so having someone there that could guide you and help you, especially another female, would be a big help to them.”

Three years on from a horror riding accident, which left her in an induced coma and all over media headlines, she was awarded country jockey of the year.

The road to this success was lined with its share of hardships, but Faithfull is a devout jockey; she would not want to do anything else.

“I didn’t do very well at school,” she says “I was bullied, so I got an exemption to leave early and find a job When my parents split, my mum moved down to Albany and I followed her down there, and that was when I got my first job for Wolfie (trainer Steve Wolfe) After about a year, I asked him if I could do my apprenticeship and he said yes That was when I was 16.”

It was Wolfe and his wife Maureen who nominated Faithfull for the Magic Millions award In the small, committed young girl from Perth they saw a determined talent They highlighted her courage to return after her 2019 accident, and her willingness to travel for rides far and wide Wolfe also acknowledged Faithfull’s humility in accepting trainers’ decisions.

“Our owners all love Tash,” Wolfe said “I think she is well-deserving of this award.”

Faithfull’s pitch for the TAB scholarship revolved around her assisting female apprentices in remote locations of Western Australia Had she won, she would have used the money for airfares, which are expensive to rural pockets of the state.

“I would have helped riders to just get going, to support them when they’re starting out because it’s so daunting,” she says “It’s a bit better now, but when I was coming through my apprenticeship you were just thrown into the deep end all of a sudden You were given a licence, sent off for gear and sent on your way You don’t even know what you need, so having someone there that could guide you and help you, especially another female, would be a big help to them.”

Faithfull says there are apprentice masters, but most of them are male Having a female within the ranks, particularly with so many female apprentices coming through, would be reassuring And we’re not talking ambitious numbers Western Australia had 54 licensed jockeys last racing season, Faithfull among them, and 15 apprentices The number of girls among the latter outweighed the number of boys.

Faithfull won’t get the chance to put her scholarship vision into play this time, but it won’t slow her down For a girl that didn’t finish school, she is articulate and deliberate and her passion for her career is absolute She says riding is one of the most fulfilling parts of her life.

“One of my best friends has just started race riding and I told her that no matter what people tell her, just stick it out You can make a lot of money and have a really rewarding life from doing this You work with beautiful animals and you get to meet so many good people and make so many good friends I honestly love this job more than anything and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Faithfull was one of the finest ambassadors for Western Australian racing at the Gold Coast awards in January She was gracious in defeat and put a spotlight on the potential of the Magic Millions Racing Women Achievement Awards to expose and congratulate talent Western Australia, like the Northern Territory, has its challenges with vastness and distances between racing communities, and word takes its time to travel The opportunity for the state’s next candidates will roll in towards the end of the year.