Collett determined to make amends aboard Bold Mac

With brother Jason not riding at Rosehill, there will be no family squabbles over Alysha Collett getting the nod to partner Bold Mac for their father and Warwick Farm trainer, Richard.

But she will be on notice to be at her best aboard the rising nine-year-old.

“We have particular horses that we ride (for Dad), and when we ride a bad race, the other gets a go,” Alysha Collett said of the sibling dynamic.

“It goes around. Back and forth. And obviously (brother-in-law) Andrew Calder is the backbone at the stable as well. He gets a lot of the rides because he does a lot of the main work.

“But as a team, we just all work really well together.”

Racing is very much a family affair for the Colletts, with Alysha having notched 50 career wins for her trainer father, many of those during her time apprenticed to him in New Zealand.

Since arriving in Australia a handful of years ago, she has steadily cemented her place in the Sydney jockeys’ room, and as a carnival rider.

In 2024-25 she had easily her best season with 12 city victories, but admits to surpassing even her own expectations by booting home 21 metropolitan winners in 2025-26, including Group 3 victories aboard Nellie Leylax in the Premier’s Cup (2000m) and With Your Blessing in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).

“I thought at the start of the season it would be nice if I could ride ten or so (city winners), so I’ve doubled that,” Collett said.

“I really hope we can keep the consistency going forward.

“It’s not easy to do, especially only getting here four or five years ago and starting from Queanbeyan, so it’s really nice to be getting the opportunities that I am.”

Collett has rides in eight of the 10 races at Rosehill, but it’s Bold Mac in the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1500m) who holds special sway.

She is still smarting over his ninth in the Muswellbrook Cup in March and says she is keen to make amends for her effort that day.

“I have flashbacks of riding him in the Muswellbrook Cup where I gave him a terrible ride and he was very unlucky. That could have been his last win,” she said.

“He’s had a few problems, but they’ve got him feeling great and he’s going super, so hopefully he can run well on Saturday.

“He’s one of my favourite horses. He’s stepping up in distance, and he finally gets a lovely barrier and a bit of firmer footing.”