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By Tony Megahey

It’s exciting times for Hawkesbury’s training newcomer Brooke Somers, confident in rejuvenated Star Bolt for this afternoon’s Cessnock TAB meeting.

Brooke, a former champion equestrian rider, was tutored by the elite, and after progressing to professional racing, rode trackwork for Gai Waterhouse, Bart Cummings and Joe Pride. Brooke made a spectacular entry into the training ranks with her small team when she won at Warwick Farm last November with $50 outsider I Am Magnificent.

“It’s an exciting period for us, he’s back working well to resume after some issues, we’ve built up our stable to a dozen now, and we’ve been lucky enough to form an association with the international Aquis Farm,” Brooke enthused.

“That’s the really big thing for us to build on, Aquis sent some young ones for us to pre-train and more will be coming; we met their representatives at the yearling sales. So it was luck being in the right place at the right time.”

Brooke, after winning a junior showjumping championship at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, was invited to Great Britain where she was tutored by 2012 London Olympics jumping Gold medallist Peter Charles.

“For me training was a natural progression from equestrian to try and make a professional career, horses have been a lifetime passion.” Brook’s certainly well on the way with a city and provincial winners."

She is enthusiastic about the chances of her last start Dubbo winner Star Bolt and rides him in trackwork. Star Bolt contests an 1150m East Cessnock Bowling Club BM 55 for Paul King.

“He’ll be hard to beat, I’d say close to favourite, his improvement has been amazing this prep,” Brooke offers. “We’d been close to giving up on him, but this prep he’s picked up amazing, lengths better and still improving.

"Us and the owners have been so patient, and his last win was super at Dubbo, came from near last. But he can race on pace and he’s worked a treat since, so we’re confident he can go on with it.”

View the results and race replays for Cessnock here