Jarrod Croker

Racehorse ownership…

JARROD CROKER IS IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN!

Canberra Raiders’ captain Jarrod Croker (left) has a great second ‘career’ in mind when he retires from rugby league - horses.

The nation capital’s team skipper has dabbled in standardbred and thoroughbred racing with quite some success, partnering with family members and friends. Jarrod part-owns the Goulburntrained galloper Intuition, a five-year-old prepared by Kurt Goldman, who started in last year’s rich, prestigious $1.3million Kosciuszko at Randwick.

“He’s a little jet,” Jarrod said of his

Jarrod Croker’s horses have pride-and-joy, who is not far off plenty of kick, too Group company. “I bought a piece of a couple of gallopers when I was 18, but they weren’t much chop, but things have changed since then.” Harness racing trainer-driver Brad Hewitt is one of Jarrod’s best mates, and has prepared up to nine pacers for Jarrod and co-owners at any one time. “The first horse we had won five or six straight when he got here from New Zealand, and I was hooked then,” Jarrod said. “We keep rolling them over, using prizemoney to buy more, and it keeps me occupied off the football field. It’s a great hobby to have, and so many of my friends and family are now involved, too. “Most of my mates follow the races and my father has always loved racing: I kind of grew up with it." Jarrod Croker was part of a syndicate which raced Real Obsession, a winner at Goulburn in 2017 with trainer-driver Brad Hewitt

Several players and staff from the Raiders joined their captain and centre in Real Obsession, a New Zealand-bred standardbred mare, who notched several wins, with a 1:53.4 career best.

Jarrod Croker's biggest gamble away from the NRL Ownership included coach Ricky Stuart, Sam Williams, Elliott Whitehead, Shannon Boyd, Luke Bateman and Glen Buttriss.

Jarrod, the veteran of more than 300 NRL games, has driven his pacers in trackwork, and hasn’t ruled out a career in the sulky when his footballing days come to an end.