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By Ray Hickson

She’s already strapped a Group 1 winner, been trackwork rider for a Golden Slipper winner and experienced the thrill of strapping an Everest runner and apprentice Tilly McCarroll is now looking forward to the next step in her career.

Just six months into her apprenticeship, the 24-year-old is set to follow a three month stint with Brett Robb in Duboo with a move to the Scott Singleton stable at Scone.

Tilly McCarroll, pictured after riding her first winner, is set for a move to Scone (Pic: Janian McMillan)

And she’s hoping to put an exclamation mark on her time with Robb’s stable when she partners the in-form Deion in the Nutrien Ag Solutions Coonamble Cannonball (1100m) on Sunday.

McCarroll, a talented and highly promising eventer prior to moving into racing four years ago, has had to be patient in her career to date – she had her first ride in early December and when she won her first race on March 1 it was only her ninth ride.

But things accelerated when she made the move to Dubbo and into the powerful Robb yard.

“I started to fall more in love with racing and I found myself being at the races more than eventing shows and it followed on from there,’’ she said.

“It was difficult to get a ride in Sydney but I just didn’t have my name out there and the move to Dubbo was beneficial.

“Brett’s taught me a lot in the three months and given me some quite good opportunities.”

Lightly raced five-year-old Deion has handed McCarroll two wins from his past three starts, and was unlucky at the start in between, and she’s confident he can handle the step up in class in the Cannonball at Coonamble.

It’s no surprise she gets on so well with the hulking galloper as she has been his regular trackwork rider.

The gelding missed the start when he beaten at Mudgee a month ago but he broke with them when he led all the way over 1200m at Warren on June 2 and even though McCarroll can’t use any of her 3kg claim Deion will drop 6kg in the Cannonball.

“He’ll appreciate having a lighter weight and he’s drawn quite well so it gives us a lot of options,’’ she said.

“He did quite a bit of work, I feel he’s an honest 1200m-1300m horse, but he’s a big striding horse who likes to bowl along.

“When you get to the front and are able to bowl along it benefits him. If he can jump well and lead he’ll be definitely there in the finish.”

Stablemate Press Forward broke an almost two year run of outs when McCarroll partnered him to a win at Dubbo back in April and while he’s been beaten in three runs since then she says he’s a fairly simple horse to ride.

The problem for ‘Pressy’, and his record of three from 43 attests to the issue, is unlike Deion he doesn’t have a lot of early speed so will be giving a start in the McKeown Electrical/Boss Agriculture Handicap (1100m).

“Hopefully we can get another win but if worse comes to worse another placing,’’ she said.

“He’s been quite unlucky with barriers but he comes from the back, if he was a horse that could put himself forward he would do himself some favours.

“He likes to settle back and let things unfold then come storming from the back.”

Though she is headed to the country again on loan, McCarroll is indentured to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and she said she couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to racing and being a jockey.

Tilly McCarroll strapping Group 1 winner Just Fine at Randwick. (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Prior to starting her apprenticeship she spent a few years behind the scenes riding trackwork and strapping horses, and it’s in those roles she’s experienced some unforgettable moments.

She was front and centre when Just Fine won the Group 1 Metropolitan at Randwick in October 2023 and followed him to Melbourne in the spring while she did a lot of work on the training tracks on Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot who also gave her a huge Everest experience.

“It was such a good opening to working in the racing industry,’’ she said.

“It has helped me immensely to start my career off as a jockey, being around the likes of Rachel King, Tim Clark and Adam Hyeronimus, and the others it definitely helps.

“I’ve been lucky enough to travel with a few good horses, being so involved with everything, and that has helped a lot always watching and listening to what jockeys and trainers had to say.

“Just Fine is my special heart horse, I was lucky enough to strap him in the Melbourne Cup last year.

“I wasn’t Lady Of Camelot’s strapper when she won the Slipper but I was her work rider and I tell you what there were a lot of tears of happiness when it happened.

“To strap her on Everest Day was nerve racking but amazing.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Coonamble meeting