Rachel Deegan always looks forward to trips to Southland
"It's not easy to win down there."
Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.
"There's just something about going back to Southland and getting a win . . . and you can't beat celebrating with the Southlanders."
Those were the comments of Rachel Deegan who left the province in 2000 to live in Christchurch and work in the horse racing industry.
Rachel, 53, is the partner of Riccarton trainer and former jumps jockey Danny Crozier.
When Danny sends horses to Southland meetings Rachel looks after them on the trip.
"It's not easy to win down there," she said.
Their last Southland win was with Reelrose in a $50,000 rating 65 2200m on Invercargill Cup and Guineas Day in February.
Rachel has been involved in the horse racing industry virtually all of her life.
Her father, Wayne Deegan, trained a small team of standardbreds at Winton and brother, Jonathan, drove them and also worked for former top Southland trainer-driver Allan Beck.
Wayne, wife Lesley and Jonathan now live on the Gold Coast.
"I used to get up in the morning before school and fast work them [Dad's horses]." Rachel said.
"If they were a bit spooky in the cart, I'd ride them."
As a teenager in the 1980s Rachel rode track work for Winton owenr-trainer Leo Boyle. Lucky Boa and Matt's Choice were horses she rode in training.
In 1992 Rachel received a scholarship to attend Marcus Oldham College, an equine, agricultural and agricultural business management institution in Victoria, Some of the opportunities she gained through the scholarship were working in different departments of Harness Racing Victoria and for harness racing trainer-driver Ted Demmler.
"I've got an accounting degree, a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and also got chartered accountancy [qualification]," Rachel said.
One of her early jobs was working as assistant accountant for Quality Bakers - Goodman Fielder in Invercargill. For that job Rachel initially lived in a flat in Invercargill but then decided to commute from Winton.
"I went back home because mum was such a good cook and she used to do the washing . . . you can't beat living at home," Rachel said.
She moved to Christchurch in October, 2000 to join Pyne Gould Guinness (PGG) as its standardbred administrator. Rachel was with PGG Ltd when it and Wrightson Ltd merged.into PGG/Wrightson in 2005.
During 2018 she started a four-year stint in the employ of New Zealand Bloodstock in Christchurch.
She then had short stints working at a veterinary clinic at Loburn and at Sime Darby Motors in Christchurch before beginning her current job as Addington Raceway's sponsorship manager in August last year.
Rachel helps in the thoroughbred stable of her partner Danny Crozier before starting her day's work at Addington. During the week it's a 5.30am start (winter) at the stable, but in the summer it's 4.45am.
Mucking out, brushing the horses and putting massaging gear on them are some of the duties Rachel does in the stable.
Eight or nine horses are in training most of the time.
At the two Riccarton meetings in the past week the stable won with Jazan (Wednesday) and gained a second with Our Braveheart (Thursday).
Rachel was oncourse for Jazan's win, The next day she flew to Brisbane to visit her family on the Gold Coast.
Trackside television coverage on the internet came in handy for her to watch Our Braveheart's race.
"I watched Our Braveheart on my phone on the train from Brisbane airport to the Gold Coast," Rachel said.